There were SO many wild and wacky stories this past week. Here is a rundown of a cross-section of them courtesy of Doubtful News.

The most important science story of the week was the retraction of the paper that claimed Monsanto herbicide and genetically modified maize was to blame for cancerous tumors in rats. From the first, this study was steeped in controversy and that debate continues.

The World Health Organization made a major mistake in a report regarding HIV infection in the population.They publicly acknowledged their error.

In Mexico, the Catholic Church is fighting a rising tide of violent drug-related activity with… exorcism. Wonder how that's going to work out? 

Ken Ham and the Creationists in Kentucky are still trying to buoy up a sinking ship in the form of the Noah's Ark Park. Have faith, they say, that visitors will come 

The U.K. is having a problem with troublesome clowns. I wish I was joking.

Was a Florida boy hit by meteor fragments? His Dad and some skeptics discuss in our comments section.

This story created outrage from all angles - a waitress claims she experienced anti-gay sentiment from customers but then, her story falls apart when the accused produce evidence that they did no such thing.

Is the "knockout game" media hype? People are really being hurt by this type of assault but it's nothing new.

A couple accused of heinous crimes during the Satanic Panic of American history, have their convictions vacated as the testimony against them also falls apart After decades in jail for a crime that never happened, what do they do now?

A distraught mother announces to the media that her son died from a flu shot. Here is why you should be skeptical.

A huge fail for the anti-vaccination AVN group in Australia as they are ordered to change their name to be clear they are against vaccines.

 Hey, it's the holiday season, here is a list of newly released books you may want to check out for your vacation time or as gifts. We also have a book recommendations page for a selection of the best skeptical picks to add to your library or give to others. 

What was the biggest Doubtful News story of the year? You can help pick Vote on the stories you thought were the most important of 2013 on our online poll. 

Come visit Doubtfulnews.com for stories like this every day. Check out our twitter feed @doubtfulnews and our Facebook page . Send your story tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Sharon Hill runs Doubtful News, a unique feed of news stories about the paranormal, pseudoscience, the weird and the unexplained with questioning commentary.