Here is a rundown of the stories about freaky nature and frightening beliefs courtesy of Doubtful News.

Skeptical activism activity for this week is to learn about how Target chain is selling homeopathic asthma treatment Unethical? Dangerous? You bet. You can do something.

 

The deaths from influenza this season continue to mount. Misinformation about the flu is a direct cause for… death.

 

In an astounding story, police report that two children are dead and two more injured after a mother and another stab them during a so-called exorcism. There are few details so far on this disturbing crime which took place in a home outside of Washington, DC.

 

Idaho is the next state aiming to address faith healing exceptions for parents to fail to treat their ill children. Believe it or not, the Republican rep in the state believes this is a religious freedom issue. It's a children's rights issue. Get a clue.

 

In the psychical circus this week, Nancy Marks, another of the Marks family, is sentenced to jail and a fine. Rose Marks, the matriarch will be sentenced in March.

 

An editorial printed in a fringe journal calls for psi research to be taken seriously. How long has THIS been going on?

 

One television show instrumental in spawning pretend "investigation" all over the U.S. is being exported internationally.

A ghost hunting flash mob arises thanks to social media and descends en masse on a supposedly "haunted" hospital.  

 

Nature gave us some weirdness this week. The obscene cold weather in the U.S. and Canada caused frost quakes and damage in Wisconsin.

 

Fish were flash frozen, encased in ice, in Norway.

 

Mysterious ball lightning was observed and recorded by scientists. While we don't yet have the video, I expect more will come from this eventually.

 

Why are old stories resurrected as news? Social media again. Do our media sources get their news from Reddit?

 

Three stories about false hope -- First, a family in South Africa hope that their missing boy was abducted by a mermaid instead of a native crocodile.

 

A man took a preparation of hair from a holy man thinking it would help his medical condition. He was lead in the wrong direction.

 

It's football playoff time in the U.S. Does God listen to the fans' prayers?

 

Finally, the dumbest story of the week involved Nazis, aliens and Edward Snowden. Someone made this up. Not me.

 

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