It must be true...

I read it in the tabloids

■ A California man says he was stung in his testicles by a scorpion while sleeping at a Las Vegas hotel. Michael Farchi says he was in his underwear at The Venetian around 8 a.m. when he was awakened by a sensation like “somebody stabbing me in my private area” with a “sharp glass or knife.” He ran into the bathroom to find a tiny orange scorpion clinging to his boxer briefs. He may sue the hotel over medical and “emotional issues,” said his attorney. “Obviously what happened to him is a traumatic event.” Hotel officials said they had followed “protocols” for cleaning the room.

■ A threeyear-old Chihuahua is traveling the world in luxury, staying at five-star hotels and dressing in a 75-piece doggie wardrobe, including a Chanel silk scarf. Bao’s owner, Toronto finance executive Xa Thi Ngoc Tran, has taken him to Paris, Mexico, and multiple other locations, and she’s documented his travels on Instagram. Bao’s account, which has 166,000 followers, describes him as “a professional model and influencer.” Ngoc says the 6-pound dog is “my baby boy,” and that paying for his travels, meals, and clothes is “more than worth it.”

■ A University of Cambridge scholar who spent seven hours trapped in the windowless bathroom of a medieval tower escaped by picking the lock with a cotton swab and an eyeliner pencil. Art historian Krisztina Ilko, 33, banged on the heavy wooden door to no avail, and knew she might go days without food before anyone came looking for her. She shouted for help, “but no one could hear me.” So she took inspiration from MacGyver, the TV character known for solving problems by leveraging everyday objects. “I was quite proud that I could use my wit to get out,” she said.