Thursday, August 27, 2020

A 150-pound tortoise that escaped more than two months ago has been found nearly a mile away from its home in Cheatham County, Tennessee

Solomon’s owners were so worried about the fate of their 15-year-old African Sulcata Tortoise that they offered a reward for any information that would lead to the pet’s safe return. They also took to social media to ask locals for help, spent weeks searching nearby woods, and even contacted law enforcement. The owner appeared on local TV asking neighbors for help locating Solomon, saying that she has had the turtle since it was a hatchling. 74 days after it went missing, a father and son found Solomon gracing in a valley and contacted the owners. Upon its return home, Solomon was treated to a plate of collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bananas, and watermelon rinds. (WKRN)

NASA-funded scientist charged with also working for China

A NASA-funded scientist has been charged with fraud and conspiracy, federal prosecutors announced earlier this week, saying he was working as a Chinese researcher at the same time he was taking U.S. government money. The FBI says the man hid his Chinese associations, including being part of China’s Thousands Talents Program that seeks to illicitly siphon U.S. research. If his involvement had been known, he wouldn’t have been allowed on the NASA-funded project. So he lied about his ties to Texas A&M University, where he was working and which had the NASA contract, the government charged. The NASA research gave the man access to International Space Station resources. He also was able to improve his standing in the eyes of China’s TTP, the FBI said. (The Washington Times)

Historic graveyard containing more than 1,500 bodies discovered in Japan

Archaeologists in Japan have uncovered a historic graveyard that contains more than 1,500 bodies. The graveyard in the city of Osaka dates back to the Edo period, according to officials. The Edo period began in 1603 and ended in 1868. The Osaka City Board of Education and the Osaka City Cultural Heritage Association have been conducting excavations at the site since 1991, officials explained in a statement. The graveyard is the city’s “Umeda Tomb” or “Umeda Graves,” one of seven historic Osaka cemeteries. The remains excavated, including human bones, are currently in the process of being sorted and analyzed. In addition to humans, animals are also buried in the cemetery, with more than four piglets in the northern part of the cemetery and two horses in the southern part. A cat bone contained in a skeleton has also been found. (Fox News)

Scott Peterson’s death sentence in murder of pregnant wife overturned by California Supreme Court

The California Supreme Court on Monday overturned Scott Peterson’s 2005 death sentence in the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, but left the door open for prosecutors to try again for the same sentence. The court also agreed that potential jurors improperly were dismissed from the jury pool after saying they personally disagreed with the death penalty but would be willing to impose it per California law. Scott Peterson also claimed on appeal that he couldn’t get a fair trial because of the massive publicity that surrounded his case, even though his trial was held nearly 90 miles away from his Central Valley home of Modesto to San Mateo County, south of San Francisco. Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager did not immediately say if she would seek the death penalty again. Scott Peterson has been housed on San Quentin State Prison’s death row since he was sentenced to death by lethal injection in 2005. He has pleaded not guilty and has always maintained his innocence. (Fox News)

As the coronavirus pandemic gained traction in the United States, internet searches related to panic attacks and acute anxiety spiked

Google searches for anxiety symptoms from mid-March to mid-May were the highest they’ve been in the history of the search engine, according to researchers at the Qualcomm Institute’s Center for Data Driven Health at the University of California San Diego. In particular, anxiety and panic attack searches corresponded to major news events, including March 16, when social distancing guidelines were put in place nationally; and March 29, when those guidelines were extended. Queries also spiked on April 3, when US President Donald Trump announced face mask recommendations; and on April 11, when the US surpassed Italy in the number of coronavirus deaths. The results could give leaders and policy makers perspective on how to manage the general population’s perception of public health directives, and could inform how we empower those in crisis to seek help quickly, researchers said. (Journal of the American Medical Association)

A 20-year-old woman ruled deceased by paramedics and a coroner was taken to funeral home where morticians discovered her still breathing—and alive

A 20-year-old woman who paramedics and a coroner declared dead was taken to a Detroit funeral home — where she was discovered alive by morticians. The drama began with paramedics from the Southfield Fire Department arriving at a home in Southfield Sunday morning in response to a call for an unresponsive woman. There was no indication of foul play, so the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office was contacted and given the medical data about the woman. “The patient was again determined to have expired and the body was released directly to the family to make arrangements with a funeral home of their choosing,” officials said. Upon her arrival at the funeral home, the staff confirmed she was breathing and called EMS. Paramedics transported her to the hospital. Her condition there wasn’t divulged. (WDIV)

Schools closed after to a Ransomware attack

In a statement released by the Haywood County Schools Superintendent in North Carolina, school staff discovered the Ransomware attack. The third-party attacker has requested ransom to stop the attack. Similar attacks have occurred in other school systems. Law enforcement will be involved in the investigation and resolution of this attack. After discovering the attack, officials say they took services offline to contain the attack, activated key partners to investigate and respond, contacted North Carolina Department of Public Safety. A call with the Division of Emergency Management, FBI, SBI, Microelectronic Center of North Carolina (MCNC), North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), National Guard, and other agencies. What information was accessed has not yet been released by officials. (WLOS)

Officials warns public of Facebook Marketplace scam