French Children Named “Clitorine” – Suspicious Van in Kroger Parking Lot –The Green Lady (Philadelphia, 1959)

https://www.thelocal.fr/20200212/how-frances-most-embarrassing-baby-name-doesnt-actually-exist

The Local [France]

12 February 2020

How France's 'most embarrassing' baby name doesn't actually exist

The fact that some people call their children Clitorine in unwitting reference to the clitoris (which incidentally is the same word in French in case you were searching for it) seems to be quite widely accepted in France. Except that they don't. The data from French statistics body INSEE does not list it, neither does the Paris electoral roll or the register of deaths. It seems that the nearest this has ever come to being a real name was in the title of a series of pornographic novels from the 1970s. […]

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https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200212/east-peoria-pd-no-kroger-van-in-kroger-parking-lot-isnt-full-of-kidnappers

Journal Star [Peoria, IL]

12 February 2020

East Peoria PD: No, the Kroger van in the Kroger parking lot isn’t full of kidnappers

EAST PEORIA — Social media chatter about a white van filled with possible kidnappers in a Kroger parking lot is not just greatly exaggerated, it’s flat-out untrue. […] In fact, police say, the van is owned by The Kroger Co. and employees in the van are not doing anything unlawful. […]

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https://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/backintheday/back-in-the-day-green-lady-legend-struck-fear-into/article_07edda3a-9b55-5f54-8343-512e9d90512d.html

Philadelphia Tribune [PA]

15 February 2020

Back in the Day: 'Green Lady' legend struck fear into kids

[…] The Green Lady was viewed as an urban legend. However, for children, she took on real life and had many of us afraid to go out at night and caused chaos in our elementary schools. So, are you dear reader wondering about the history of The Green Lady? Well, let me take you back to an Oct. 9, 1959, article that appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune titled “Rumored ‘Green Lady’ Cause of School Panic.” […]

Needle in Gas Pump (AL) – Attempted Abduction in Mall Toilet (Tulsa, OK) – Posters on Dreaming (Sheffield, UK)

http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/stories/forensic-needle-reported-taped-to-pump-at-stapleton-gas-station,88400

Gulf Coast News Today [AL]

23 January 2020

Forensic needle found taped to pump at Stapleton gas station

STAPLETON, Alabama — Loxley Police are looking for someone they say taped a forensic needle to a pump at a gas station in Stapleton. […]

https://www.fox10tv.com/news/urban-legend-turned-reality-man-stabbed-with-needle-at-stapleton/article_b75cc016-3ef9-11ea-b3a9-7787436f78c4.html

WALA [Mobile, AL]

24 January 2020

Urban legend turned reality? Man stabbed with needle at Stapleton gas pump

It’s a case that will have you thinking twice before you reach for the gas pump. Loxley Police said a man was pricked by a hypodermic needle that someone taped to the handle at a Stapleton convenience store. The victim has yet to meet with investigators and police said they have no suspects. […]

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https://ktul.com/news/local/tulsa-police-addresses-false-viral-post

KTUL-TV [Tulsa, OK]

22 January 2020

Tulsa police say they see no truth behind viral post about teen's abduction at mall

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Tulsa police say they see no truth behind a scary social media post that’s going viral. The story went like this: A mother stops some people – likely human traffickers – from drugging and abducting her 13-year-old daughter at the bathroom at Woodland Hills Mall. Police say they haven’t gotten any credible reports that this situation actually took place, and there’s no surveillance video showing something like this happening. […]

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https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/uk/would-you-know-if-you-were-dreaming-mysterious-posters-appear-in-sheffield/

Evening Express [UK]

30 January 2020

‘Would you know if you were dreaming?’: Mysterious posters appear in Sheffield

by Press Association

Mysterious posters asking people if they would know if they were dreaming have been popping up over Sheffield. The poster, which bears the crest of Sheffield City Council, asks: “Would you know if you were dreaming right now?” It goes on to list advice about how to tell whether or not the reader is dreaming. The council has distanced itself from the posters, which appear to be a street art project. […]

Drop Bear Prank – Plastic Egg Reward (India) – Sex Traffickers Mark Car’s Windshield Wiper (Ohio)

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/this-scottish-reporter-was-tricked-into-wearing-full-protective-gear-to-hold-a-fearsome-aussie-drop-bear

SBS [Australia]

12 January 2020

Amidst the devastation of the bushfires, Aussies still managed to pull a classic prank on an unsuspecting Scottish reporter.

It's a commonly known fact in Australia that drop bears are amongst the most fearsome creatures on this continent. Over the weekend, UK’s ITV News Asia correspondent Debi Edward discovered that for herself, when she donned full-body protective gear to hold one of the "vicious" beasts, more commonly known as a koala. Of course, Edward didn't know she was only holding a koala. The drop bear is a classic Australian hoax, typically used to scare unsuspecting foreigners while locals have a giggle. It's pretty rare that it's effective enough to get someone into full body armour, though -- and especially rare to capture the whole thing on film. […]

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-news/necc-seeks-to-dispel-rumours-of-plastic-eggs-on-social-media-through-rs1-000-challenge/story-Atl0CslR5BdPzPrW6fysgM.html

Hindustan Times [India]

13 January 2020

NECC seeks to dispel rumours of plastic eggs on social media through Rs1,000 challenge

With rumours of plastic eggs being sold in the market running riot on social media, veterinary experts, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) hatched [a] plan to break the shell and dispel the rumours. Officials on Monday announced a reward of Rs1,000, if a person manages to bring to them - a plastic egg - which looks like a natural egg. The rumours, which came into circulation last week on social media feeds, has been hurting the poultry industry as it detests people from consuming eggs, according to the officials who conducted a press conference in the city along with experts. […]

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https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/01/13/akron-police-no-cause-concern-regarding-social-media-rumor-claiming-kidnapping-attempt-whole-foods/

WOIO-TV [Cleveland, OH]

13 January 2020

Akron police: ‘No cause for concern’ regarding social media rumor claiming kidnapping attempt at Whole Foods

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Akron police say the public should not be concerned about a rumor that has surfaced on social media describing a recent alleged kidnapping attempt. Detectives from the Akron Police Department investigated the reported incident from Jan. 9 at the Whole Foods store in the Wallhaven area. The alleged victim filed a police report and posted on social media, claiming beliefs that sex traffickers marked her car with a plastic sleeve on her windshield wiper and tried to box her vehicle in before she was able to escape. […]