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Time and again, dogs have proved that "man's best friend" is more than just an expression. A black Labrador retriever named Grace is exemplifying that in an entirely new way and being hailed as more than just good companion. She is being called a loyal friend to the end and beyond. A motorist in La Puente, California, captured video of Grace lying down next to her friend, a yellow Labrador retriever who had been struck and injured by another vehicle.

Grace lies patiently next to the other dog as cars whiz by dangerously close to the lane she and her companion are positioned in. She does not seem bothered by the noise or the busy street as she stays by her companion's side. The motorist who shot the video put out safety cones to protect the dogs and then called animal control.

So far, the video has been viewed almost 200,000 times on YouTube. Unfortunately, Grace's companion did

Trayvon Martin George ZimmermanThe fatal encounter between a 17-year-old black teenager and a mixed-race neighborhood watch volunteer has created a furor over "stand your ground" laws, which have been enacted in more than 20 states; legislation is pending in others. That Florida, the epicenter of the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman case, was the first to pass the law in 2005 adds to the debate. But for George Zimmerman, this defense might not even apply, according to some legal experts.

Regardless, the case has led to legislators second-guessing the law—including the men who sponsored and signed the Florida bill, and major businesses are backpedaling from a lobby group that has helped promote the defense.

Murder vs. manslaughter: Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, "an act imminently dangerous to another, and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life." The case goes before a judge in an evidentiary hearing, in which the judge, not a jury, has the power to dismiss the case. "It is less of a

The weekday report for the topics and people that are trending on
Yahoo! and across the Web for Friday April 13, 2012.

Research by Search editor Liz Streng

The mayor of Newark's day takes a fiery, heroic turn. A storm leaves an icy mess in the Texas panhandle.  An otherworldly structure intrigues sci-fi-savvy stargazers.  Explore the latest in today's spiking searches.

STANDOUT SPIKES

• Cory Booker: Newark, New Jersey, mayor Cory Booker helped rescue his neighbor from a house fire yesterday. Booker saw the house on fire and rushed inside. He explained, "I suddenly had the realization that I can't find this woman." When he finally found her, Booker said he "just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed."
• Texas Hail Storm: A clean-up effort required snow plows to remove the 4 feet of hail that fell on Amarillo, Texas, Thursday. The storm mixed hail with mud, leaving several motorists trapped in their cars. Related searches: texas hail storm, 4 feet of hail in texas
• Mars Monolith