This edition of xoNews is a mixed bag. From your weekly ISIS update to the tragically weird… I wish I could make this stuff up, but I just can’t. One story involves someone who wants her own reality show and another story involves one of the most ubiquitous reality families.
But don’t worry; I’m giving you the hard stuff too, about another captured journalist and yet another threat to national security.
Love it or hate it, just chat about it in the comments or tweet me directly @AmandaLauren.
ISIS Update
On early Tuesday morning, President Obama's promised airstrikes began in Syria. These airstrikes weren’t just about attacking ISIS, though. They were also intended to target an unrelated Al Qaeda faction known as the Khorasan Group. According to intelligence, this group of Al Qaeda leaders was planning to bomb western nations.
The airstrikes targeted the cities of Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, Al Hasakah and Abu Kama. ISIS headquarters, training compounds, trucks, armed vehicles and storage facilities were hit.
The United States was not the only nation involved in the airstrikes. Several Arab allies -- including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia -- were also involved in the mission.
As of Tuesday night, ISIS has not made an official statement, but they have responded by increasing security controls in Raqqa. There is no current information on how long the Obama administration plans to continue the strikes.
The White House Is Wide Open
So, apparently the White House isn’t as secure as you thought it might be.
Last weekend Omar Gonzalez, an Iraq war veteran, was detained after scaling the fence, running across the lawn and walking though the door of the White House, which was apparently unlocked. Yes, unlocked. All of that security and someone forgot to lock the door. Even worse, Gonzalez had a bunch of weapons on him, including a knife, a machete and two hatchets. He also had over 800 rounds of ammunition in his car.
While this is already a glaring failure on the Secret Service’s part, security should have had Gonzalez’s picture up to start with, because this is his second incident at what should be one of the most secure buildings in the United States. Last month, Gonzalez was stopped by police after he was seen walking around outside the White House with a hatchet in his waistband. But that wasn’t enough to arrest him. Because he allowed officials to search his car, and they found nothing, he was let go.
That wasn't Gonzalez’s first brush with the law either. In July, he was arrested when Virginia state troopers stopped him while driving and subsequently discovered a small arsenal in the trunk of his car, including a sawed-off shotgun. He also had a map (they still make maps apparently) with the White House circled on it.
Third Boob’s A Charm -- Or Not
On Monday, it was all over the internet that a woman calling herself Jasmine Tridevil, a 21-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida, had a third breast surgically implanted in her chest a la the movie "Total Recall." Why would she voluntarily have such a surgery? Tridevil said:
I got it because I wanted to make myself unattractive to men. Because I don't want to date anymore ... Most guys would think [it is] weird and gross. But I can still feel pretty because if I wore makeup and cute clothes, I can still, you know...feel pretty.
Oh, the other reason why she wanted to do this was because she wanted to pitch her own reality show. She has her own YouTube channel and thought this was a great way to expand her brand (no pun intended, seriously).
Tridevil said she went to 50 doctors before she found one who would agree to perform the surgery, because a third breast won’t exactly get a physician a gold star for medical ethics. She said she paid $20,000 for the procedure, but wouldn’t say what doctor did it because she singed an agreement to keep his identity under wraps.
Strange right? Are you skeptical? Because so was everyone else, including TMZ.
On Tuesday, TMZ released evidence that the entire thing was a hoax and the third breast was in fact, a prosthesis. The website uncovered a document from the Tampa International Airport Police Department that Tridevil (real name Alisha J. Hessler) filed when her baggage was stolen at the airport. What was the content of the bag? Shoes, a hairbrush and 3 prosthetic breasts. So, the entire thing was probably a hoax and it doesn’t look like she and her three breasts are getting their own reality show any time soon.
MonkeyParking No Longer Monkeying Around In San Francisco
An app called MonkeyParking allows drivers who are about to leave precious street spots to auction them off to highest bidder, usually for somewhere between $5-$7. The Monkey makes a 20% commission. MonkeyParking started out in San Francisco, but city attorney Dennis Herrera banned the app, declaring it illegal, and sent the company a cease and desist letter. He also threatened to fine them $2,500 per transaction. Herrera said:
Monkey Parking is facilitating and encouraging its users to enter unlawful agreements with each other, and misleading them into believing that their transactions are lawful. Also, Monkey Parking is facilitating and encouraging drivers to use cellphones and other wireless communication devices in a manner that distracts them, posing a safety hazard to the public and violating state laws that prohibit using cellphones and such other devices while driving.
The developers of the app claim they want to be regulated and not banned from doing business. While they’ve given up San Francisco, MonkeyParking is now trying to establish itself in Santa Monica, California. However, authorities there aren’t exactly opening their arms either. In a statement, Santa Monica’s parking administrator said, "They do not have ownership of the space. That's unlawful. That's immoral. It's no different from a street bum [who] stands on a space, waves someone in and asks for a tip."
Headlines
• They've been separated since last summer, and now Kardashian matriarch Kris has filed for divorce from Bruce Jenner. Kardashian cites “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. The most shocking part of their divorce? It was negotiated with their business managers, not with attorneys. Neither party will receive spousal support and will share custody of Kylie Jenner, their 17 year-old daughter.
• On Tuesday, Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh came out as gay at a press conference for Senate Bill 42 and House Bill 177, both of which would expand Pennsylvania’s hate crime law to include attacks based on gender identity and sexuality. Ferlo said, “Hundreds of people know I'm gay. I just never made an official declaration. I never felt I had to wear a billboard on my forehead. But I'm gay. Get over it. I love it. It's a great life.”
• Nearly three years ago, Somali pirates captured Michael Scott Moore, a German citizen, who also holds American citizenship. Moore was captured while writing a book on piracy. He has finally been freed and said to be in good condition, considering the circumstances.