Southwest
Spiky creatures wash up on Texas beach, described as 'your worst nightmares’
![Spiky creatures wash up on Texas beach, described as 'your worst nightmares’ Spiky creatures wash up on Texas beach, described as 'your worst nightmares’](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/venom-filled-fireworm.jpg)
A bearded, venomous creature has emerged on the beaches of Corpus Christi.
Prickly fireworms, also called bristle worms, washed up along the Texas Gulf Coast and beachgoers are on high alert.
The National Park Services (NPS) described the bristles as tiny, needle-like spikes, each one filled with venom, according to FOX Weather.
‘NO NEED TO BE AFRAID’ OF ‘VENOMOUS FLYING SPIDERS,’ EXPERT SAYS
“WARNING!!! Your worst nightmares are washing up right now in the form of fireworms!” the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies posted on Facebook.
“We’ve found a few of these marine polychaetes, sometimes called bristle worms, washing up over the past couple of days on large logs. The logs these were found on had gooseneck barnacles all over them, which might have been what the worms were feeding on.”
Jace Tunnell with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies holds up a fireworm he caught this week in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies)
The nightmarish name for the fireworm comes from the pain inflicted when the tiny spikes are touched — a fiery pain described as lasting hours.
The bristles are filled with a mixture of neurotoxins to be used against predators.
ODD-LOOKING FISH, LARGEST OF ITS KIND, WASHES UP ON BEACH, STUMPS EXPERTS: ‘REMARKABLE’
“Your skin can feel sensitive in the sting site for weeks depending on where it stung you,” the institute continued on its Facebook post.
“The white bristles coming off each segment of the worm are … filled with neurotoxin and they break off when you touch them.”
If you find yourself pricked by one of the poisonous spikes on a fireworm, the NPS recommends the spike be removed with the use of adhesive tape, noted FOX Weather.
The Harte Research Institute said these gnarly creatures can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
The fireworm feeds on a variety of corals, anemones and small crustaceans, such as gooseneck barnacles.
“Would hate to step on one of these. Thank you for continuing to protect us with these important segments!” one Facebook user commented.
![venom filled fireworm foudn in Texas](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1724529507_985_Spiky-creatures-wash-up-on-Texas-beach-described-as-x27your.jpg)
The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies is warning beachgoers about the presence of fireworms on the Corpus Christi beach. (Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies)
“I could have gone my whole life without knowing these things exist,” another user wrote.
The Harte Research Institute is focused on the advancement of sustainability and conservation of the Gulf of Mexico since its establishment in 2001.
More odd news in Lifestyle
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PREHISTORIC-LOOKING – A man from Fort Wayne, Indiana, locked in another state fishing record after reeling in a spotted gar. Continue reading…
VERY INTIMIDATING – The Goliath birdeater’s massive size has earned it the title of the world’s largest spider. Continue reading…
Read the full article from Here
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Los Angeles, Ca
Los Angeles County man greeted by bear in his kitchen while baking cookies
![Los Angeles County man greeted by bear in his kitchen while baking cookies Los Angeles County man greeted by bear in his kitchen while baking cookies](https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/08/snapshot-2024-08-24T114822.306.jpg?w=900)
A Los Angeles County man was baking cookies in the early hours of Saturday morning when he was greeted by an unexpected guest.
According to authorities, a man called police just after 2 a.m. to report that a bear was in the kitchen of his Claremont home. He saw the bear when he went to go check on some cookies that were in the oven.
The bear, police said, entered the home through a screen door. It later exited through another screen door and was lingering in some of the neighborhood’s backyards when officers arrived.
Neither the bear or the resident were harmed during the encounter. It’s not clear if the man offered the bear any of his delicious cookies.
Southwest
Texas school district adopts policy that teachers must use pronouns consistent with students' biological sex
![Texas school district adopts policy that teachers must use pronouns consistent with students' biological sex Texas school district adopts policy that teachers must use pronouns consistent with students' biological sex](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Male-Female-Chalk.jpg)
A school district in Texas has adopted a new controversial policy on student pronouns, requiring teachers to refer to students by pronouns consistent with their biological sex.
The Keller Independent School District’s new policy changes state that educators must use pronouns consistent with the student’s birth certificate, regardless of whether the student wishes to use different pronouns, according to Fox 4.
Under the revision approved by the school board on Thursday night, parents will also be notified if a student wants to use a name or pronoun different from what is consistent with their birth certificate.
For a student to use a different name or pronoun, their parents must provide a written notification to the school.
CHICAGO SCHOOLS’ SEX ED CURRICULUM TEACHES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY, PUBERTY BLOCKERS
The Keller Independent School District’s new policy changes state that educators must use pronouns consistent with the student’s birth certificate. (iStock)
Before the new changes, the district’s policy said educators could not promote or require the use of pronouns inconsistent with a student’s biological sex.
This comes amid a national debate in schools and governments across the country over whether students should be referred to by their preferred name and pronouns without parental knowledge. Last year, Katy ISD in Texas adopted a similar policy requiring parental notification.
Some Republican-led states have moved to pass legislation requiring that parents be notified if their child wants to use a different name or pronoun to protect parental rights, while some Democrat-led states oppose such a requirement by arguing that doing so could harm LGBTQ+ students.
The American Civil Liberties Union had sent a letter of concern to the district warning trustees not to approve the policies, claiming they were unlawful and discriminatory.
But the board unanimously approved the new policies.
![A U.S. classroom](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1724504130_606_Texas-school-district-adopts-policy-that-teachers-must-use-pronouns.jpg)
Parents must be notified if a student wants to use a name or pronoun different from what is consistent with their birth certificate. (iStock)
Several students and parents criticized the district’s new policy during the public comment section of a recent school board meeting, according to Fox 4 and NBC 5.
“Every day I walk into a school and myself and my peers are suffering. It seems like more and more the school district is prioritizing budget cuts and a political agenda over the health of its students,” Keller ISD senior Kennedy Schultz said.
Another senior, Madison Hickman, told district officials: “You’ve created an environment where fear and isolation might just become the norm for our most vulnerable students. I hope this brings you the kind of community you’re striving for, one where conformity is valued over compassion. Hate is not a Keller ISD value.”
Parent Mary Anne Weatherred, who has teenagers in the district, said she shared students’ concerns that a child could be “outed” and endure problems with their parents who may not be accepting.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLASTIC SURGEONS BREAKS CONSENSUS OF MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT ON TRANSGENDER CARE
![Transgender pride flag](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1724504130_164_Texas-school-district-adopts-policy-that-teachers-must-use-pronouns.jpg)
Several students and parents criticized the district’s new policy. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)
“Not everybody’s families are the same and not everybody’s families are going to accept kids exploring their gender identity and it’s going to make a difficult home situation for them,” Weatherred said. “They find a school to be a space where they can use a different name, a different pronoun and figure out who they are.”
But another parent, Marissa Bryce, said while she understands the concerns some people have about the policy change, she supports the revision.
“I think that it’s a good starting point. Parents need to know what’s going on with their school, they need to know what their kids are thinking,” Bryce said.
Read the full article from Here
Los Angeles, Ca
Southern California bakery owner targeted in elaborate check fraud scam
![Southern California bakery owner targeted in elaborate check fraud scam Southern California bakery owner targeted in elaborate check fraud scam](https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/08/em.jpg?w=900)
A Southern California bakery owner is warning other business owners after she was targeted in an elaborate counterfeit check scam.
Loria Stern, the owner of Eat Your Flowers bakery in Highland Park, has been running her business for 12 years. Throughout that time, Stern said she’s seen her fair share of scams, but this latest scheme truly surprised her.
It began in early August when she was contacted by email asking for an order of 1,000 cupcakes.
The scammer, someone named “Zoe Madison,” said she didn’t want to pay with a credit card or through mobile payment apps, so she sent a check for $7,560 instead.
When Sterns cashed the check at the bank, it initially cleared so she began working on the large cupcake order.
“There were a lot of specific details in the emails going back and forth with her that really made me believe that this order was happening,” Stern said.
However, two days before the scheduled pick-up, she received another email from the suspect saying she needed to revise the cupcake order “due to budget constraints.” She wanted Stern to cut the bakery order in half and refund the difference in cost.
Stern told the customer that wasn’t an option as the order was a custom one.
“The next day, 24 hours before she was supposed to pick up the cupcakes, the funds were withdrawn from my account and it was cited as a counterfeit check,” she recalled.
Stern called the company listed on the check — Peak Trading Corporation located in upstate New York.
Their accountant told her that 15 other small business owners, specifically within the service industry, had also called with the exact same complaint.
Lou Rabin, a cybersecurity expert, said scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and able to circumvent any red flags raised by potential victims.
“AI is really changing the game,” Rabin said. “It’s the reason that the English on these emails is impeccable. They’re very persuasive, so business owners really need to understand and have a process for processing orders and verifying your customers.”
As for Stern, she hopes that by sharing her story, she’s able to prevent another business owner from falling prey.
“This was just a really advanced and a really intricate scam,” she said. “I have a feeling this is their full-time job. They’re doing these elaborate scams to different businesses and I guarantee they’re making money.”
Rabin said it’s important to verify every customer before conducting any large transactions and when possible, speak to a live person over the phone and verify information with an online search.
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