1. Swamp Guide Hand-Feeds Wild Alligators
A group of tourists on a swamp boat in south Louisiana got a little more than they bargained for when their tour guide jumped in the water to hand-feed two alligators. Video shot in May by Stacy Hicks of St. Helens, Oregon, shows the guide feeding chicken and marshmallows to the gators. At one point, he even puts a marshmallow in his mouth and lets one of the gators snatch it away. There is no state law against feeding wild alligators, but it’s against Jefferson Parish’s local law, where this swamp tour happened. Authorities have since instructed tour operators to stop feeding them.
2. Cliff-Hanging House Set on Fire
A Texas house teetering on a cliff 75 feet above Lake Whitney was intentionally set ablaze on Friday to prevent the crumbling $700,000 home from falling into the water below. The homeowners, who bought the house as a second residence, aren’t present for the burn – but they will be responsible for the cost. They chose to destroy their getaway home because it is cheaper than letting it fall into the lake or using a net to pull the 4,000 square-foot house away from the cliff, NBC Dallas affiliate KXAS reports. The house was built on a fault line, which apparently wasn’t revealed during routine inspections.
3. Friday the 13th “Honey Moon”
Some lucky sky gazers got a chance to see something early this morning that hasn’t happened in nearly 100 years: a full “honey moon” on Friday the 13th. The moon had a slight golden hue due to the haze and pollution in our atmosphere. The moon also appeared larger than normal because of its position in orbit.
4. Reporter Unwittingly Interviews Actor Bob Odenkirk
Global News reporter Gil Tucker was doing interviews on the streets of Calgary about a new production in town called “Fargo,” when he stopped a guy walking by in shades and a hat. Not thinking twice, Tucker asked him a few questions about the show. The man explained he’s an actor involved in the series and the two had a polite conversation. At the end, Tucker asked for the man’s first name and he replied, “Bob” – as in Bob Odenkirk (think Saul from “Breaking Bad”).
5. P.F. Chang’s Goes Old-School After Data Breach
P.F. Chang's China Bistro is the latest company to be targeted by cybercriminals. After confirming a security breach that involves the theft of customer credit and debit card data, the restaurant chain said it's switching to a manual imprinting system to handle transactions. P.F. Chang's said it was alerted on Tuesday of the security compromise and immediately started investigating the cause with the U.S. Secret Service and a team of third-party forensics experts. In the meantime, those old-fashioned carbon copies are making a comeback.
6. Marine Finds Out He’s Getting the Medal of Honor
On June 19th, retired Marine Cpl. Kyle Carpenter will receive the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama. He will become the eighth living recipient of the military’s highest award. Carpenter enlisted at the age of 19. A year later, during his deployment in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, his unit came under attack from the Taliban. Carpenter threw himself in front of a grenade to protect a fellow Marine. This video details his story and road to recovery for one of the nation’s biggest heroes.
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