Korva Coleman

"Suffering On A Huge Scale": World Refugee Numbers Swell

Korva Coleman — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:38:00 +0000

The United Nations Refugee Commission says more than 45.2 million people were in "situations of displacement" around the world as of last year — the most since 1994.

A report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says there were 15.4 million refugees in other countries, 937,000 people seeking political asylum and 28.8 million people forced out of their homes but still inside their own countries.

"Those are the highest numbers since 1994, when people fled genocide in Rwanda and bloodshed in former Yugoslavia," according to The Associated Press.

The U.N.'s ye

Oops. Wrong Birth Year Fixed On NYC Mayor Koch's Tombstone

Korva Coleman — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:24:00 +0000

"You could call it a 'grave' mistake," says WNBC-TV of New York City.

The tombstone of Edward I. Koch, the city's colorful, three-term mayor who died in February, listed an incorrect birth date for him. Instead of showing Dec.

Boston Tops Chicago In Game 3 Of NHL's Stanley Cup

Korva Coleman — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:06:00 +0000

The Boston Bruins have taken the lead in the NHL's Stanley Cup championships, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 Monday night in Boston. Interestingly, last night wasn't a tense, drawn-out reprise of Games 1 and 2 and did not require an overtime.

Boston's goalie, Tuukka Rask, playing peerlessly, had another shutout, letting the Bruins put it away in the second period.

U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin To Step Down

Korva Coleman — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:03:00 +0000

After four years on the job, the nation's top doctor is leaving. U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced late Wednesay that she plans to step down next month.

"Regina has served as America's doctor since 2009 and has impacted the health and lives of Americans across the country. I am deeply grateful for her leadership and service," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote in an email to staff, according to CNN.

NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs Open Tonight

Korva Coleman — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:15:00 +0000

Yes, the NBA finals are well underway, and yes it's mid-June, but tonight marks Game 1 of the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup championship. A strike-shortened season pushed the finals later into the spring than usual.

The Chicago Blackhawks, who just knocked off defending champion Los Angeles Kings, will face the Boston Bruins, the NHL 2011 victors. Chicago will have home ice, which is probably a good thing, as the Chicago playoffs against L.A.

'I Didn't Want To Be Pope,' Francis Tells Group Of Children

Korva Coleman — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:18:00 +0000

Speaking to a huge group of children Friday at the Vatican, Pope Francis pushed aside a set of prepared remarks to talk directly to them and answer some of their questions.

One of his frank responses to a girl named Teresa was this: "Anyone who wants to be Pope doesn't care much for themselves, God doesn't bless them. I didn't want to be Pope," reports Reuters.

Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, is known for his intense focus on the poor and inequality.

'An Inland Ocean Of Flooding': Disaster In Central Europe

Korva Coleman — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:57:00 +0000

At least 16 people are dead after several days of flooding in Austria, Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Historic cities are underwater, and flood victims are perching on rooftops for safety.

Get In Line! Enormous Powerball Jackpot Up For Grabs

Korva Coleman — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:58:00 +0000

If it seems as though lottery jackpots keep growing in size, you're right — the multistate Powerball lottery has ballooned to its third-largest size in history, and one or several lucky people could win Wednesday night's drawing.

At this writing, the Powerball is worth an estimated $360 million, with a $229.2 million cash value.

Need A Lift? See Japan's New 'Branomics Bra'

Korva Coleman — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:43:00 +0000

As Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe focuses on boosting his country's bottom line, a lingerie company is hoping to give Japan a different type of lift.

The "Branomics Bra" from Triumph International is a play on Abe's economic policy known as "Abenomics." The company says the garment has a "growth strategy" to help bust Japan's persistent inflation problem, according to Reuters.

The concept bra features three toy arrows and a target shaped pouch, modeled after the

After Socking The Rockies, Snowstorm Moves East

Korva Coleman — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:57:00 +0000

Arbor Day celebrations have come and gone, but winter weather is gripping the Plains and Upper Midwest.

Send Your Haiku To Mars! NASA Seeks Poets

Korva Coleman — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:42:00 +0000

Galactic poet?

Here's how to become famous.

Send your work to Mars!

NASA is raising awareness for its upcoming launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft with its Going to Mars project.

Snow In May? The Nation's Midsection Bundles Up

Korva Coleman — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:47:00 +0000

Update at 4:55 P.M ET: The Associated Press reports that Cheyenne, Wyo. has now received at least 15 inches of snow.

Our original post: It's a good thing Punxsutawney Phil's handler admitted he'd misinterpreted the early spring forecast from the world-famous groundhog weather prognosticator.

Just In Case: Cruise Line Insured Against Loch Ness Monster

Korva Coleman — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:14:00 +0000

There's word that a Scottish cruise line has taken out an insurance policy in case of a beastly disaster. Jacobite Cruises is now insured against damage from the Loch Ness Monster.

"We see it as keeping in line with good business practice," Freda Newton, managing director of Jacobite Cruises, tells The Scottish Sun. "There is so much going on — people have tried to hunt the Loch Ness Monster, people have tried to capture it. We just don't know what could happen.

4-Year-Old Rape Victim Dies In India

Korva Coleman — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:37:00 +0000

A young girl raped this month in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has died, according to several news reports. The 4-year-old child had been lured with chocolate by her alleged attacker, who later dumped her at a farm, as NPR's Julie McCarthy has reported.

The New York Times' India Ink blog says the girl's parents found her April 18, the day after the attack, and that she had been in a coma since.

Tarantino's Stolen 'Pulp Fiction' Chevy Found After 19 Years

Korva Coleman — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:33:00 +0000

Remember that cherry red Chevy Malibu convertible that John Travolta drives in Pulp Fiction? You know the one that he crashes, trying to get help after Uma Thurman overdoses? Did you know it's been missing for 19 years because it was stolen? Well, it's not missing anymore.

The car, which belongs to filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, turned up in the Oakland, Calif., area, according to the San Bernardino Sun.

Several Arrests In Deadly Bangladesh Factory Collapse

Korva Coleman — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:14:00 +0000

Bangladeshi authorities have arrested at least seven people in connection with this week's deadly building collapse outside Dhaka, the capital. Several garment factories, shops and a bank were housed inside.

The country's state-run news agency says the people were arrested in connection with the building collapse, including two engineers and two garment factory owners.

Honoring Film Critic Roger Ebert — With A Conga Line

Korva Coleman — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:49:00 +0000

It's not been a full month since Roger Ebert passed away, but his annual Ebertfest continued this month in Illinois with screenings, lectures and guest visits by artists.

The big hit was actress Tilda Swinton, who closed out last Friday night with this touching tribute to the longtime movie critic: a conga line.

Onstage was Ebert's widow, Chaz, who told the audience they would have to get up, too, and dance to Barry White's "You're My Everything," which they

Second Rape Case To Draw Social Media Buzz Will Be Reviewed

Korva Coleman — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:03:00 +0000

A few days after Rehtaeh Parsons' mother turned off the hospital life support systems and allowed her daughter to die, computer activists claiming to be affiliated with the hacker group Anonymous are threatening to reveal the identities of Parsons' alleged rapists.

It's the latest twist in a heartbreaking case that Canadian authorities ruled was not a crime. Rehtaeh, who was 17, hanged herself on April 4 and died a few days later.

Hours After Expulsion, Ex-Nevada Lawmaker Forcibly Arrested In California

Korva Coleman — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 18:22:00 +0000

Former Nevada Assemblyman Steven Brooks is jailed in San Bernadino County, Calif., following a high-speed freeway chase with Barstow police and members of the California Highway Patrol.

Christians Trace The Steps Of Jesus As They Mark Good Friday

Korva Coleman — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:34:00 +0000

It's Good Friday, one of the holiest days of the Christian year, when tradition holds that Jesus was crucified and died.

Pope Francis is marking the day at the Vatican by reciting the story of the hours before Jesus' death, says CNN. In Jerusalem's Old City today, Christian pilgrims traced Jesus' steps, pausing to pray at 14 stops and concluding their walk at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Oklahoma Dentist May Have Exposed Thousands To Disease

Korva Coleman — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Oklahoma's health department is contacting some 7,000 patients of Tulsa-area dentist Dr. W. Scott Harrington to warn them they may have been exposed to "blood-borne viruses."

Officials are urging former patients to get screened for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV after an investigation of Harrington's office found rusty instruments in use and evidence of unsanitary practices.

Mortar Hits Syrian University; Turkey Denies It Deported Refugees

Korva Coleman — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:30:00 +0000

A mortar shell hit part of Damascus University in Syria's capital on Thursday, killing at least 10 students and wounding a number of others, according to the official Syrian news agency, which says the shell fell on an outdoor café in the architecture department.

NPR's Susannah George is following the attack from neighboring Lebanon: "State TV footage shows puddles of blood in a colorful school cafeteria, and an awning is torn above where the mortar allegedly landed."

She says the Syrian government is blaming the attack on "terrori

Powerball Winner Owes Thousands In Child Support Payments

Korva Coleman — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:24:00 +0000

Now he can catch up with his bills. Pedro Quezada of New Jersey claimed the fourth-largest jackpot in the history of the Powerball multistate lottery on Tuesday.

How To Hit A Big Dunk: Griner Tweets A Prediction As Women's Sweet 16 Is Set

Korva Coleman — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:53:00 +0000

There's nothing like encouragement to help you succeed. Or maybe you can just create it for yourself. Baylor's Brittney Griner had both Tuesday night as her top-seeded team blew past Florida State 85-47. She had a double double: 33 points and 22 rebounds, as Encourager-In-Chief and former President George W. Bush looked on with former first lady Laura Bush in Waco, Texas.

Construction Crews May Have Found 'Black Plague' Victims In Britain

Korva Coleman — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:33:00 +0000

What can you find underneath a British railroad or parking lot? These days it could be skeletons, and probably a lot of them. Last month, researchers announced the bones of a man discovered underneath a British parking lot were actually King Richard III.

Florida Sinkhole So Dangerous Rescuers Can't Search For Missing Man

Korva Coleman — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 17:33:00 +0000

Update at 6:53 p.m. ET Rescuers End Search:

Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill says efforts to find Jeffrey Bush, who disappeared in a sinkhole, have been discontinued. He says that the conditions at Bush's home have become too dangerous for rescue workers.

"At this point it's really not possible to recover the body," Merrill said at a news conference on Saturday.

He says workers will begin efforts to demolish the home on Sunday.

Our Original Post Continues:

The family of Jeffrey Bush still wants to know what happened to him.

Florida's Great Python Challenge Is Over; Not Many Are Caught

Korva Coleman — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:00:00 +0000

After all the hoopla and news of people buying tools to catch Burmese pythons invading Florida, the state's monthlong hunt for them is over. Hunters caught 68 pythons.

Huge Bomb In Pakistani Market Kills Dozens

Korva Coleman — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:33:00 +0000

The top of this post was updated on Feb. 17 at 6:04 a.m.

Nuclear Waste Seeping From Container In Hazardous Wash. State Facility

Korva Coleman — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 15:45:00 +0000
They thought they'd managed this problem a few years ago. But Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee got a disturbing call Friday from Energy Secretary Steven Chu: Nuclear waste is leaking out of a tank in one of the most contaminated nuclear waste sites in the U.S.
Inslee released a statement, saying a single shell tank at Hanford Nuclear Reservation is slowly losing between 150 and 300 gallons of radioactive waste each year. All of the liquid was removed from the tank in February 1995; what's left is toxic sludge.