Unordered seeds via mail, that appear coming from China, has thousands of people around the country guessing what is behind the mystery deliveries, notes Grumpy Editor.
U.S. state and federal officials are asking recipients not to handle or plant the seeds and to turn them over to local or federal agricultural agencies for analysis and investigation, adding planting the seeds could see the introduction of invasive species causing destruction of native crops, introduction of diseases to native plants and could be dangerous to livestock.
A seed expert in Iowa is concerned the seeds may have been coated with something, possibly insecticide or fungicide, that could damage crops.
Multiple U.S. agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are investigating the seeds, many arriving in packages labeled jewelry.
So far, the Department of Agriculture identifies 14 different kinds of seeds in the mysterious packages.
All 50 states issue warnings about the packages.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...
Mountain rescue team carries Daisy, a Saint Bernard, down mountain in England.
121-POUND SAINT BERNARD RESCUED. Sixteen volunteers from a mountain rescue team carried Daisy, a 121-pound Saint Bernard, from England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike. The rescue team spends nearly five hours rescuing Daisy. The dog collapsed while descending the mountain with her owners. Daisy’s problem was with pain in her rear legs, causing her not to move.
RANSOMWARE THREAT. Federal authorities say one of the gravest threats to the November election is a ransomware attack that could paralyze voting operations and kill confidence in tabulations, reports Associated Press.
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE ACTIVITY. Work on a coronavirus vaccine is moving at an unprecedented pace: There are nearly 200 candidates in development, with 27 of them being tested in humans. A handful already are in an advanced phase of clinical trials.
AIR CARGO FINDS CABIN SPACE. Passenger airlines are making up some lost revenue by strapping cargo into passenger seats and placing in overhead bins in cabins that would otherwise be empty.
DR. FAUCI'S BASEBALL CARD BRINGS ACTION. Dr. Anthony Fauci's limited edition baseball card, showing him throwing a wild pitch at the Major League Baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees, set an all-time high print run record with 51,512 cards selling for $9.99 each.
BLUE LOBSTER SAVED. A rare blue lobster is saved from the dinner table by Red Lobster employees after it is delivered to their restaurant. Employees at a Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Red Lobster restaurant spot the rare crustacean and decide to contact conservationists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California to inform them of their discovery. The blue lobster winds up in a special tank at the Akron Zoo.
ACTORS HANKS AND WILSON BECOME GREEK CITIZENS. Actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have become Greek citizens. The couple and their children last year became honorary Greek citizens after officials highlighted Hanks' role in helping raise awareness about the 2018 fires that hit areas near Athens claiming lives of more than 100 people. Wilson, who is part Greek and Hanks, a Greek Orthodox convert, often spend vacations in Greece where they own property on Antiparos island.
NAVY GREETS FIRST BLACK FEMALE TACTICAL PILOT. Lt. j.g. Madeline G. Swegle becomes the U.S. Navy’s first Black female tactical aircraft pilot, receiving her "Wings of Gold" during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Kingsville in Texas. The recognition marks an aviator's official completion of basic helicopter training in naval flight school.
OPRAH'S MAGAZINE ENDING PRINT EDITION. O, The Oprah Magazine, launched in 2000 by Oprah Winfrey with Hearst, is ending its monthly print edition with the December 2020 issue.
