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Weird News[ish]
Mystery jetpack pilot makes second appearance, students catch COVID for cash and
other strange tales.
by Joshua Lee
Second “Jetpack Guy” Sighting
Aviation officials are reassessing what were thought to be incorrect reports of a “guy in a jetpack” now that a second sighting has been reported.
CNN reports the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that a flight crew once again spotted a man wearing a jetpack and flying at altitudes far above normal near Los Angeles International Airport. “A China Airlines crew reported seeing what appeared to be someone in a jetpack at an approximate altitude of 6,000 feet, about seven miles northwest of Los Angeles International Airport,” the agency said.
In early September two different aircraft crews independently reported seeing what they described as a man wearing a jetpack and flying at an elevation of around 3,000 feet. An American Airlines pilot was recorded telling air traffic control that, “We just passed a guy in a jetpack.” At the time officials said they were skeptical of the reports, because there’s no jetpack currently on the market that can reach that altitude and return safely to the ground without a parachute. It was believed that a prankster using a modified drone was to blame for the strange sighting.
But the Federal Bureau of Investigation is taking the claims seriously now and has launched an investigation into the incidents.
University: Students Catch COVID On Purpose
Officials at the Idaho campus of Brigham Young University are investigating claims that students have been intentionally contracting COVID-19 so they can sell their antibody-rich plasma.
According to CBS News, the university is condemning the practice and has promised to suspend any students caught trying to expose themselves or others to the virus. “The contraction and spread of COVID-19 is not a light matter,” said the school in a recent statement. “Reckless disregard for health and safety will inevitably lead to additional illness and loss of life in our community.”
School officials say they are now investigating incidents on their Idaho campus. According to reports donation sites near the campus will pay novel coronavirus survivors up to $200 for their plasma, which can be used for convalescent plasma therapy. This plasma is given to patients currently suffering from COVID-19 symptoms in the hopes that it will improve their chances of recovery. The federal Food and Drug Administration approved of the treatment course in August.
BYU-Idaho says that students who are struggling should look to the university for help instead of infecting themselves with a virus. “If students are struggling, BYU-Idaho stands ready to help,” the school said. “There is never a need to resort to behavior that endangers health or safety in order to make ends meet.”
Altar Burned After “Demonic” Sex Act
The Archbishop of New Orleans has ordered the destruction of an altar after a Louisiana pastor was caught filming himself having sex with two dominatrices on the holy object.
Insider reports that Archbishop Gregory Aymond called the pastor’s sexual act “deplorable” and said his “desecration” of a church altar was “demonic.” The archbishop said that former holy man Travis Clark will never serve the Catholic ministry again. “What has happened … is unacceptable—it’s sinful and cannot be tolerated.”
Reverend Clark was arrested on Sept. 30 along with two women on obscenity charges. Police say a passerby noticed that the lights were on inside Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church near 11pm. The witness told police that they looked through the glass doors and windows and allegedly saw a half-naked man on the altar along with two women in high heels and corsets. According to reports, stage lights and cameras had been set up to record the sex act.
The witness captured their own footage of the incident and showed it to police when they arrived at the scene. All three participants were arrested.
Aymond says a new altar has been consecrated and has taken the old one’s place.
11-Year-Old Steals School Bus
Police in Baton Rouge, La., have arrested an 11-year-old boy for stealing a school bus and leading police on a car chase.
According to WAFB in Louisiana, the incident was witnessed by local resident Joy Gradney. “As he got closer and closer and closer, I saw it’s a little boy in there and he was laughing. He was like giggling on the way across Florida as he goes right past me. I’m like I can’t believe it’s a little boy,” said Gradney.
Police say the child took control of the bus near Progress Head Start School. When officers pursued the vehicle, the young driver reportedly laughed at them and displayed an obscene hand gesture. The chase lasted 45 minutes and ended after the boy crashed into three vehicles and drove into a tree.
One other driver received minor injuries during the incident. The juvenile was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated flight, three counts of aggravated damage to property and aggravated assault.
Fear of People Most Googled Phobia
A new survey found that anthropophobia—the fear of people—has become the most searched phobia on search engines in the U.S. in 2020.
According to Psych News Daily engine searches for anthropophobia have increased five-fold since 2019. Searches for anthropophobia reportedly made up 22 percent of all phobia searches this year, and they peaked between April 19 and 25—at the height of lockdown restrictions in the U.S. [ ]