4 Students Injured in Lunchroom Shooting at Ohio School

(abcnews) 02/29/16 - Four students were injured after a shooter walked into the lunchroom at a Middletown, Ohio, school and started firing, authorities said today.

Two of the students were hurt by the shooting and two were injured by flying shrapnel, said Anthony Dwyer, Chief Deputy of Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Dwyer did not provide more information, but the school district said one person was in custody.

None of the injuries are life-threatening, Madison Local Schools said on its Facebook page. The district said all students are safe, but did not elaborate on the incident.

The school was placed on lockdown following the incident, the district said.

The Butler County Sheriff's Office cleared the scene, the district said, later adding that students at Madison Junior/Senior High School were sent home.

Madison Elementary School students will be dismissed approximately one hour early by bus, the district said.

Should Daylight Saving Time be ended? California State lawmaker says yes

- A lawmaker is proposing that California do away with Daylight Saving Time, ending the practice that has had people springing ahead and falling back since state voters approved the practice 67 years ago.

San Jose Assemblyman Kansen Chu said he heard from constituents that the twice-a-year time change is disruptive, especially for elderly residents.

“I heard some complaints last year from some of the senior citizens (in my district) and their care providers who say this one-hour difference really impacted their lives,” Chu told the Sacramento Bee.

Chu also said that evidence suggests that the time change is related to more workplace accidents and that it also does not decrease energy consumption.

So he has introduced Assembly Bill 2496 which would end the practice in the state. You can read his proposal here.

Chu is not the only one who wants to end the dreaded (?) practice that confuses body clocks and aggravates parents trying to get their little ones out of bed an hour early every spring.

More than 81,500 people have sent petitions to Congress via the website End Daylight Saving Timedemanding an end to the time switch.

“This proposal will simplify scheduling, travel, and commerce. And by ending semi-annual clock tampering, it will also allow people to get more sleep, be better adjusted to their daily routine, avoid missed appointments resulting from failure to reset clocks, and, most importantly, save lives,” the website says.

“Please stop the messing with our schedules. It’s an antiquated practice that only aggravates people. As it is Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and America Samoa do not participate in this practice.” Read the rest HERE

California: Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim erupts in violence; 3 are stabbed and 13 arrested

"Diversity is our strength"

(LATimes) -Three people were stabbed and 13 others arrested when a Ku Klux Klan rally in Anaheim erupted in violence Saturday, police said.

A small group of people representing the Klan had announced that it would hold a rally at Pearson Park at 1:30 p.m., police said. By 11 a.m., several dozen protesters showed up at the park to confront the Klan.

About an hour later, several men in black garb with Confederate flag patches arrived and were escorted by police around the edge of the park.

Violence erupted and some of the protesters could be seen kicking a man whose shirt read "Grand Dragon." At some point, a protester collapsed on the ground bleeding, crying that he had been stabbed.

At least 4 dead, 18 wounded in Kansas mass shooting

(marketwatch) - A mass shooting in Kansas has left four people dead and 18 wounded, according to authorities. The Associated Press reported "a number of crime scenes" in a series of shootings in and around an Excel Industries plant in Hesston, Kansas. Excel makes riding lawn mowers in the small town north of Wichita. Law enforcement officials said the gunman was shot and killed by police, and was an employee of Excel. Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said at a news conference the suspect, who has not been identified, killed three people, and at one point was shooting at people as he drove in his car. "Apparently right now it all looks random," Walton said.

Kohl's to close 18 stores; no locations announced yet

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. - Kohl's says it plans to close 18 "underperforming" stores in 2016, but hasn't released a list of locations yet.

The company will release the list of closures by the end of March.

In its corporate report for the quarter and year ended Jan. 30, 2016, Kohl's announced plans to open seven new smaller format stores in various regions. The retailer did not specify where.

It also plans to open 12 Fila outlet stores.

In its explanation for the store closures, Kohl's says it will save a total of around $55 million by taking that action, although closing costs and organizational changes will cost the company up to $170 million.

Read the release here.

(Source)

Extinct dodo birds weren't as dumb as you think, study claims

(cnet.com) - Look up the word "dodo" in the thesaurus and you will find entries like "ignoramus," "dimwit," "fool" and "dumdum." This is not a very flattering portrayal for the famously extinct flightless bird.

The legend of the dodo is that it was too stupid to survive. A new research study is here to counteract the idea that dodos were just a bunch of featherbrained birds with a lack of smarts.

Dodos lived on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The last sighting of a dodo happened way back in 1662. A study lead by Eugenia Gold of Stony Brook University in New York looked at a well-preserved dodo skull from the Natural History Museum in London. The skull was scanned and digitized and the data compared to pigeon skulls.

"It's not impressively large or impressively small--it's exactly the size you would predict it to be for its body size," Gold said. "So if you take brain size as a proxy for intelligence, dodos probably had a similar intelligence level to pigeons."

Pigeons have a pesty reputation, but studies have shown they may be smarter than we give them credit for. Researchers taught pigeons to use a touchscreen for a 2013 study. A 2008 study says that pigeons have self-recognition abilities similar to that of a 3-year-old human.

Gold notes that dodos were first discovered by people in the 1500s and the docile birds were soon used as a meat source. That's a big reason why the species didn't survive more than a 100 years after human contact. They were eaten by people and by predators brought onto the island.

Gold's research team published a paper on the findings, titled "The first endocast of the extinct dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and an anatomical comparison amongst close relatives (Aves, Columbiformes)," in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society on Tuesday.

Dodos will continue to fascinate science. Gold says that much is still unknown about the bird's biology due to the rarity of specimens. "There are so few complete dodo skeletons we may never know exactly how they looked or lived," says the Natural History Museum in London. At least this new study gives us some insight into their much-maligned brains. (Source)

Egypt: Toddler sentenced to life in prison

CAIRO, EGYPT (CNN) - Family members of a 3-year-old Egyptian boy who was sentenced last week to life in prison say they feel relieved after receiving assurances from officials that neither the boy nor his father will be arrested.

The boy's father, Mansour Qorany Sharara, has returned to the family home in the southern Egyptian province of Fayyoum after nearly 18 months on the run. He had been avoiding authorities who had previously detained him when they came to arrest his young son.

In a surreal verdict, a military court last week found the boy, Ahmed Mansour Qorany Sharara, and 115 other people guilty of killing three people and sabotaging public and private property during a political demonstration in January 2014.

Ahmed was 16 months old at the time of the alleged crime.

The guilty verdict, handed down Feb. 16, provoked an uproar.

"How could people trust justice if they see this?" TV presenter Wael Elebrashy asked Saturday as he interviewed the boy's father in a Cairo studio.

Ahmed was sleeping as his father held him during the interview. Sharara began to cry, pleading for help. He said he was worried his son would be imprisoned.

Early Madagascar settlers burned forests 1000 years ago

Madagascar is a strange place..

2016 US presidential candidates

- President Obama is barred by constitutional term limits from seeking re-election in 2016. A large crowd of candidates will likely compete for the Democratic and Republican nominations. Plus there are LOTS of likely third party and independent P2016 hopefuls. So, if a person is running or thinking of running regardless of party, ballot status, or chances of winning will be listed HERE.

Scotland would be better off as an 'independent' EU member, Nicola Sturgeon says

and Northern Ireland belongs to Ireland...

(Telegraph) - Scotland would be better off as an “independent” member of the European Union, Nicola Sturgeon has suggested.

The Scottish First Minister said that the EU is “not a perfect institution” but that it “it is better for us in all circumstances to stay in”.

Repeating her calls for Scottish independence, she said that she believes her country would be best served as an “independent member state” of the bloc.

Ms Sturgeon has named ‘Brexit’ as one of the few triggers that could lead to a snap referendum on the province’s independence.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The EU is a 'coming together' of independent states that choose to pool some of their sovereignty to better tackle those issues that don't respect national boundaries - like climate change, energy security and the refugee crisis.

"It's not a perfect institution - and while I believe it would be best for Scotland to be in the EU as an independent member state, I believe it is better for us in all circumstances to stay in."

The in-out referendum on EU membership will be held on June 23 - seven weeks after the elections to the Scottish Parliament in which the SNP is riding high in the polls.

Polls have also consistently shown that Scotland is more in favour of remaining in the EU than the rest of the UK, and a vote to leave against the majority will of the Scottish people has been suggested as a possible trigger for another independence referendum.

Brexit could also have a concrete impact on Scots who benefit from EU subsidises and exporting to the Continent without trade barriers.

Britain Stronger In Europe, the pro-EU campaign, has said that exports from Scotland to the Continent are worth an estimated £11.6 billion.

Winston the strongest, first Category 5 cyclone to hit Fiji

(FijiTimes) MIGHTY Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston is now the strongest tropical cyclone and first Category 5 storm on record to hit Fiji.

Fiji's strongest cyclone to have been recorded was Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Evan of December 17, 2012 which walloped Fiji with sustained winds of 135 mph.

In a weather bulletin issued earlier this afternoon, FMS said TC Winston is moving west at about 25km per hour.

A hurricane warning remains in force for Vanuabalavu, Yacata, Mago, Cicia, Tuvuca, Nayau, Koro, Gau, Vanuavatu, Taveuni, Qamea, Laucala, Ovalau, Wakaya and Vanua Levu.

A storm warning is in place for Lakeba, Oneata, Moce, Komo, Namuka, Ogea, Moala, Viti Levu, Yasawa and Mamanuca Group.

A gale and heavy rain warning has also been issued for the rest of Fiji.

Islands in the Eastern Division can expect very destructive hurricane force winds with average speed of 220km per hour and momentary gusts to 315km per hour.

Heavy rain can result in flooding, including sea flooding of low-lying areas. (Full Story)

Fiji super cyclone kills 10 and raises fears of health crisis (Reuters)

Pope Francis urges governments to 'open hearts' to migrants

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) - In a moment filled with powerful political symbolism, Pope Francis prayed Wednesday at Mexico's dusty northern border for the thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach the United States and appealed for governments to open their hearts, if not their borders, to the "human tragedy that is forced migration."

"No more death! No more exploitation!" he implored.

It was the most poignant moment of Francis' five-day trip to Mexico and one of the most powerful images in recent times: History's first Latin American pope, who has demanded countries welcome people fleeing persecution, war and poverty, praying at the border between Mexico and El Paso, Texas, at a time of soaring anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. presidential campaign.

Francis stopped short of calling for the U.S. to open its borders during a Mass celebrated just yards (meters) from the frontier. But in his homily, beamed live into the Sun Bowl stadium on the El Paso side, Francis called for "open hearts" and recognition that those fleeing gangland executions and extortion in their homelands are victims of the worst forms of exploitation.

"We cannot deny the humanitarian crisis which in recent years has meant the migration of thousands of people, whether by train or highway or on foot, crossing hundreds of kilometers through mountains, deserts and inhospitable zones," he said. "They are our brothers and sisters, who are being expelled by poverty and violence, drug trafficking and organized crime."

Francis also praised the work of activists who "are on the front lines, often risking their own lives" to help those caught up in the migration crisis. "By their very lives, they are prophets of mercy," he said.

WHO seeks $56 million for plan to combat Zika virus

(Reuters) The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday (Feb 17) that $56 million (39 million pounds) would be needed until June to fund a strategy to combat the Zika virus which has spread to 39 countries and has been linked to birth defects in Brazil.

The funds sought, including $25 million for the WHO, would be used to fast-track vaccines, carry out diagnostics and research into how the mosquito-borne virus spreads, as well as virus control, the WHO said.

Last year, the United Nations health agency was forced to admit its handling of an Ebola virus epidemic, which killed more than 11,300 in two years, most of them in West Africa, had been inadequate. Public health expert Lawrence Gostin said on Wednesday the WHO's reaction to the Zika emergency was again "too little, too late".

The WHO declared the Zika outbreak a global public health emergency on Feb 1, noting its association with two neurological disorders, microcephaly in babies and Guillain-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis.

Director-General Margaret Chan will travel to Brazil from Feb 22-24 to review Zika-related measures supported by WHO and will meet the health minister, a WHO spokeswoman said.

"Possible links with neurological complications and birth malformations have rapidly changed the risk profile for Zika from a mild threat to one of very serious proportions," Chan said in the WHO's strategy paper.

But Gostin, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington, warned that the WHO had "grossly underestimated" the task as the virus was likely to spread to many other regions from the Americas.

Former US Treasury secretary says we should kill the $100 Bill

(aol.com) - A former U.S. treasury secretary has taken a public stand against high denomination bills.

Larry Summers argues in a piece for the Washington Post that large notes like the 500-euro or $100 bill should no longer be issued.

His commentary was inspired by a recently published paper from the Harvard Kennedy School titled, "Making it Harder for the Bad Guys: The Case for Eliminating High Denomination Notes."

In the paper, researchers discuss the flow of money from illegal activities and write that "By eliminating high denomination, high value notes we would make life harder for those pursuing tax evasion, financial crime, terrorist finance and corruption."

Summers largely agrees, recalling similar concerns he expressed about the 500-euro note, which is worth more than $550, when the currency was being planned out.

In fact, he points to the note's nickname as the "Bin Laden"—a point mentioned in the paper—as proof of its link to illegal activities.

The famed economist ultimately states that placing "a moratorium on printing new high denomination notes would make the world a better place."

Australia busts $900 million of meth smuggled in bra inserts, art supplies

(usatoday.com) - Australian authorities found US$900 million worth of liquid methamphetamine smuggled inside gel bra inserts and art equipment, one of the largest drug busts in the nation's history.

The investigation began after the raiding of a shipping container in December revealed 86 boxes of bra inserts holding 190 liters of liquid meth, also called "ice," the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

A joint effort between five Australian agencies reportedly later found 530 more liters of liquid meth hidden in art supplies—including paint-by-numbers kits for children— across five storage units in suburban Sydney.

“This has resulted in 3.6 million individual hits of ice being taken off our streets,” New South Wales justice Michael Keenan told reporters Monday, putting estimated value of the drugs at $1.26 billion Australian dollars.

Authorities charged three Hong Kong nationals and one Chinese national related to involvement in the importation and manufacturing of the drugs. (Full Story)

Valentine's Day Playlist

Songs to get you in the mood for Valentines Day. Enjoy!

                                             Ace of Base - Lucky Love

Boy Meet Girl - Waiting for a star to fall

Miss Papaya - Cinderella

Elize Hot Stuff

Big Fun - I Feel The Earth Move

                                         

Solid Base - Wet

                                                                    Jenny Rom - Pippi Girl

Laura Branigan - The Power of Love

                                          

                                             Sonia Evans - You'll Never Stop Me Loving You

Taylor Swift - Love Story

Seven killed in gun battle in Indian Kashmir

(yahoonews) - A fierce gun battle killed two soldiers and five suspected militants Saturday in Indian-administered Kashmir near the de facto border with Pakistan, army officials said.

The seven died during a heavy exchange of fire in the border village of Marsari, 130 kilometres (80 miles) northwest of the main city of Srinagar, defence spokesman N. N. Joshi said.

The 16-hour gun battle began on Friday when government forces zeroed in on an abandoned house after receiving information about the presence of suspected rebels.

"One more militant was killed in the operations, bringing their number up to five," Joshi told AFP.

Another defence spokesman, S. D. Goswami, earlier said that two soldiers had been killed.

Two other soldiers were injured and have been taken to a military hospital, according to police.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan by a heavily militarised Line of Control since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Arizona: Two teen girls found shot dead at school in Phoenix suburb

(Reuters) - Two 15-year-old girls died on Friday in a shooting in an isolated area of a high school campus in a Phoenix suburb and were found with the gun beside them, police said.

Police were not seeking a suspect in the shooting at Independence High School, and its students and surrounding community faced no threat, said Glendale police spokeswoman Tracey Breeden.

She said it was too early to determine if the incident involved a suicide.

After a report of gunfire on Friday morning at the school in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, police rushed to the school and found the two girls under a covered patio in an isolated area of the campus, Breeden said.

Each girl had a single gunshot wound and were declared dead at the scene, with the gun beside them, she said.

"Anytime you have a tragedy with young people, there is nothing to feel good about in that situation," Glendale Union High School District Superintendent Brian Capistran said at a news conference.

Authorities placed the school on lockdown, leaving students in their classrooms to issue updates on social media as anxious parents rushed to a nearby Wal-Mart store where they waited to be reunited with their children.

"Our hearts remain with the students, educators and families of Independence High School and the entire Glendale community," Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said in a statement.

ABC15 showed aerial footage of the hexagon-shaped high school, with its sports field empty and the street in front of the campus shut down.

Independence High has roughly 2,000 students, school district representative Sara Clawson said. She could not confirm if the two teens shot were students at the school.

Oregon standoff ends after 41 days with dramatic surrender

(Reuters) - The four holdouts in the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon surrendered on Thursday, with the last protester repeatedly threatening suicide in a dramatic final phone call with mediators before he gave up, ending the 41-day standoff.

David Fry, 27, stayed behind for more than an hour and told supporters by phone he had not agreed with the other three to leave the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. The call was broadcast live on an audio feed posted on the Internet.

"I'm actually pointing a gun at my head. I'm tired of living," Fry said during the phone call. He later added: "Until you address my grievances, you're probably going to have to watch me be killed, or kill myself."

Fry sounded alternately defiant and tormented during the rambling final call, veering from rants about the federal government to his thoughts on UFOs. He surrendered after taking a final cigarette and cookie and asking his mediators to shout "Hallelujah."

Authorities could be heard over the phone line telling him to put his hands up before the call disconnected. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward called him a "very troubled young man" at a news conference several hours later.

Federal authorities said the refuge would remain closed for several weeks as agents secured what was now considered a crime scene and scoured it for fugitives or explosives.

The protesters told authorities they left behind booby traps but did not say whether the trip wires and other devices would trigger explosions, a law enforcement official told Reuters.

Materials to create explosives could be found on the property, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The final four occupiers will face charges of conspiracy to impede federal officers, along with 12 others previously arrested, officials said. (Source)

Pope Francis to stand with migrants at U.S. border

- Pope Francis, who has spent the past several months pressing nations, including America, to embrace those fleeing the unrest in the Middle East, Africa and Asia with open arms – and open borders – is now taking that stance to a new political level and planning a solidarity stand with migrants along the U.S.-Mexico boundary.

Market Watch reported Francis is due to arrive in Mexico on Friday for a six-day visit. And as part of that visit, he is planning to stand on the U.S. border, in Ciudad Juarez, and deliver a mass.

The town is located just 90 yards from U.S. land.

About 200,000 are expected to turn out for the mass on the Mexico side, and another 50,000 from Rio Grande in Texas, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“This is one community, despite the fence,” said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, during a press conference reported by Market Watch. “I think it will be moving to see this single community even though it is located on two sides of the border.”

Immigration has been a top issue during this presidential campaign season, with both Donald Trump and Sen. Ted vowing to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump in particular has sounded the alarm on illegals in the United States, promising to deport the 11 million who are breaking the law with their presence. And he’s also come down hard on the refugee situation, calling for a blanket halt to immigration of all individuals coming from Muslim dominated nations in order to allow U.S. authorities time to catch up with intelligence on who’s crossing the U.S. border.

Read more at WND.com

Syria, already a catastrophe, seems on the verge of an uncontrollable disaster

(washingtonpost) - Suddenly, after four years of brutal civil war, Syria this week became even more of an uncontrollable military, diplomatic and humanitarian disaster.

“We are not blind to what is happening,” Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Tuesday, as he prepared for a meeting in Munich of stakeholders from outside Syria. “We are all very, very aware of how critical this moment is.”

The Thursday gathering could well be the last gasp of a three-month, Kerry-orchestrated effort to bring together powerful countries on all sides of the conflict — from Russia and Iran on behalf of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to the United States and its partners on the opposition side — to try and forge a political solution that would allow them all to focus their efforts on defeating the Islamic State.

What seemed possible even two weeks ago, however, now seems all but hopeless. Failure of planned peace negotiations could lead President Obama finally to a decision he has long resisted — whether to more fully arm and back rebel groups whose cohesion and commitment to a democratic and secular Syria he mistrusts.

In recent days, Russian bombardment of opposition forces north of Aleppo, a rebel stronghold, has severed opposition supply lines and threatens to allow government-aligned forces to encircle the city. In a letter sent to the Obama administration this week, Russia proposed to stop the bombing on March 1, allowing it to continue for another three weeks. (Full Story)

Florida man accused of hurling alligator through Wendy's drive-thru window

(mashable.com) Wendy's: the home of spicy chicken nuggets, creamy baked potatoes and terrifying Florida alligators.

In October, a man, believed to be 23-year-old Joshua James, pulled up to a Wendy's drive-thru window in Jupiter, Florida. But instead of asking for more napkins or extra ketchup, he did the unthinkable: he threw a living alligator through the drive-thru window, according to WPTV.

While the crime happened almost six months ago, U.S. Marshals just captured him this week, local news station WPTV reports. The alligator in question was reported to be approximately 3-and-a-half feet long.

James admitted that he picked up the alligator on the side of a road and took it to Wendy's, according the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The alligator was later released into a nearby canal. James faces charges of aggravated assault, as well as as illegal possession and transportation of an alligator.

Millions of Obese Americans Are Actually 'Quite Healthy'

(theindianrepublic.com) A new study came to the conclusion that body mass index (BMI) is a really crude and awful indicator of someone's health.

Recently the Commission for Equal Opportunity in Employment in the United States proposed a rule that would grant employers the right to penalize certain employees with fees that reach up to 30 percent of their total insurance cost if they don't meet a number of 24 health criteria.

Their findings, which appear in the International Journal of Obesity, suggest that 34.4 million Americans considered overweight by virtue of BMI are actually healthy, as are 19.8 million who are considered obese.

The researchers noted that previous research did not find a clear link between weight and height, and its relation to various health markers, meaning that just because a person is of a particular weight and height doesn't necessarily mean their blood pressure will be in normal range or even an unhealthy range, for example.

Study authors concluded that since these people's BMI does not affect their health, overcharging them on a false assumption would be unfair.

Looking at the relationship between the BMI and factors such as blood sugar, blood pressure, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels, the team led by Tomiyama found some pretty interesting statistics regarding the accuracy of the BMI's health gauging abilities.

"Not only does BMI mislabel 54 million heavier individuals as unhealthy, it actually overlooks a large group of individuals considered to have a "healthy" BMI who are actually unhealthy when you look at underlying clinical indicators", said Hunger.

Can you be both healthy and overweight?

"Many people see obesity as a death sentence", said A. Janet Tomiyama, an assistant professor of psychology in the UCLA College and the study's lead author.

In other news EurekAlert reported, the results showed that more than 2 million people identified as "very obese" by virtue of having a BMI of 35 or higher are, in reality, healthy; that's about 15 percent of Americans so classified.

Most doctors and experts believe obesity has ballooned into a massive global health crisis, although much of the statistics use BMI as a yardstick. (Full Story)

Reports of Twitter Shifting To An Algorithm Timeline Next Week Might Be Premature

- The internet has been buzzing angrily after Buzzfeed published a post that indicated that Twitter was moving away from its timeline and towards an algorithm generated feed next week. That might have been premature.

For months now, it’s been rumored that Twitter would be shifting their model away from the strict, chronological timeline model that has been its hallmark since its inception, and to an algorithm-based model that would filter out what users would see, much like how Facebook has approached their Timeline feature. The company has recently been derided for several new features, including Moments and changing ‘Favorites’ to ‘Likes’.

The internet hasn’t been happy, and have taken to the hashtag #RIPTwitter to voice their disapproval.

In response, Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey took to Twitter earlier this afternoon to note that the company isn’t planning on reordering timelines next week as has been reported. Full Story

Sea lion wanders into upscale restraurant, casually takes a nap

(telegraph.co.uk) - Staff at a restaurant in San Diego were surprised to discover an unexpected visitor had spent the night there this week - an eight-month-old female sea lion pup.

Bernard Guillas, executive chef at the The Marine Room restaurant, took a few pictures of the animal and posted them to Facebook, quipping: "He was a little bit early for his high tide breakfast reservation ... as it is this weekend on Sunday and Monday."

Restaurant staff called in experts from SeaWorld San Diego, who captured the sea lion in a net and took her back to the theme park where she's now being nursed back to health.

A spokesman for SeaWorld said they are "guardedly optimistic" that the animal will be able to be returned to the wild.

Mattel, Hasbro held talks on possible merger: Report

(cnbc.com) Feb 4, 2016:  U.S. toymakers Mattel and Hasbro have held talks about a possible merger, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Mattel's shares rose as much as 8.2 percent to a 16-month high of $34.36, while Hasbro was up 3.3 percent in afternoon trading on Thursday.

The companies had a combined market capitalization of more than $20 billion as of Wednesday's closing.

Hasbro approached Mattel about a potential transaction late last year, and the companies have held talks about a deal since then, Bloomberg said citing the people.

The talks may not lead to a deal, Bloomberg reported, adding that details on how a deal might be structured could not be immediately learned.

Hasbro spokeswoman Julie Duff said the company does not comment on rumors or market speculation. Mattel was not immediately available for comment.

This is not the first time the companies have held merger talks. In 1996, Mattel had offered to buy Hasbro for about $5.2 billion, but withdrew the offer, citing an intolerable climate at the time.

Facebook in 2030? 5 billion users, says Zuck

(usatoday) MENLO PARK, Calif. – By 2030, Facebook aims to have 5 billion of the world’s 7 billion humans connected to its social network, a 3.5-billion jump that could be accomplished in part by deploying autonomous planes.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the comments Monday during an event at the company’s new Frank Gehry-designed headquarters designed to celebrate Facebook’s 12th anniversary Thursday, which it has dubbed Friends Day.

Facebook also introduced a new way of measuring its global spread: as users doubled from 2011 to 1.5 billion, the degrees of separation between each user has shrunk from 3.74 to 3.57 degrees today.

“We want to finish connecting everyone, we’re going to do it in partnership with governments and different companies all over the world,” Zuckerberg said, pointing to a large wall photo of a boomerang-shaped drone Facebook has developed dubbed Aquila. “It’s solar-powered, and it’ll just fly around a city and beam down Internet access. It’s, like, pretty crazy, right?”

Zuckerberg has been talking about connecting the rest of the world for a few years now. And while the notion of Internet for all might sound like a winner, some watchdog groups and telcom competitors are concerned that Facebook's Wi-Fi vision — called Free Basics and now running in 25 countries — is aimed largely at funneling new consumers to its mushrooming service.

Student demands lifetime supply of Kit Kat bars after buying eight lacking wafers

(foxnews) - A British student demanded this week that confectioner Nestle give her a lifetime supply of Kit Kat bars after she bought eight packages, none of which contained the candy's wafer portion, the Daily Mail reported.

Saima Ahmad, 20, a student at Kings College in London wrote the manufacturer demanding the sweet restitution after purchasing an £2 multi-pack (about $3) in December which contained pure chocolate.

"They go about the advertising the unique concept of Kit Kat, but I'm so disappointed by what I have purchased," Ahmad told the paper.

"No one else in the industry has that unique concept of mixing the wafer with the chocolate," she said.

Ahmad asked that Nestle's CEO, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, personally respond to her request.

Zika virus tied to birth defects is international emergency, WHO says

GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - The World Health Organization on Monday declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus an international public health emergency due to its link to thousands of birth defects in Brazil, as the U.N. agency sought to build a global response to the threat.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan told reporters that coordinated international action was needed to improve detection and expedite work on a vaccine and better diagnostics for the disease, but said curbs on travel or trade were not necessary.

Chan, whose agency was assailed as too slow in reacting to West Africa's Ebola epidemic that killed more than 10,000 people in the past two years, cited "first and foremost the big concern about microcephaly," the birth defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains.

She noted that it was "strongly suspected but not yet scientifically proven" that Zika causes microcephaly.