Trending NowPost office bill, Janet Napolitano, hair chalking: What’s Spiking (Wednesday)
The weekday report for the topics and people that are trending on
Yahoo! and across the Web for Wednesday April 25, 2012.
Research by Search editor Liz Streng
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor budget deficit shall slow the postal carrier, even on Saturdays—not if the Senate has anything to do with it. In another show of reassurance, a White House official promises to scout out the hornery in the Secret Service. And nothing stands in the way of beauty, not even a slightly messy procedure that borrows from an old-fashioned writing implement. What's buzzing, primped for your reading.
STANDOUT SPIKES
Senate Bill S1789: Also known as the 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012, the bill wants to save this hoary government institution and an estimated $19 billion by 2016. The Senate voted 62-37 to keep Saturday hours for two years, although postal officials proposed cost-saving measures such as closing all weekend long and shuttering 3,700 offices, most in rural areas.
Janet Napolitano: The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security testified Wednesday to reassure senators that the "inexcusable" Secret Service sex scandal would be fully investigated.
Hair chalking: Yes, you read that right, it's the latest popular beauty trend. One new line, showcased at the International Beauty Show and the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference, comes in a rainbow of colors and adds temporary color to hair.
NEWS & POLITICS
Arizona Immigration Law: The Supreme Court focused on the autonomy of states in its hearing on the state's SB 1070 bill. Justice Antonin Scalia pointedly asked, "What does government mean if it doesn't allow states to defend its borders?"
Obama on Jimmy Fallon: The POTUS appeared on the late-night talk show and helped to "slow jam" the news.
Erika Harold: The 2003 Miss America winner wants world peace, justice for all, and to be a Republican candidate for Congress in Illinois' 13th Congressional District.
Mia Love: The African-American Mormon Republican gained political buzz after she beat out rivals for Utah's 4th Congressional District on Saturday.
Stuart Chaifetz: This New Jersey father planted a recorder in his son's pocket after teachers claimed the boy, who is autistic, was acting violently. The audio captured teachers' verbal abuse and has led to at least one firing, but the primary teacher remains employed within the school district.
Madeleine McCann: Scotland Yard has asked officials in Portugal to reopen the case of the missing girl, who vanished in 2007 during a family vacation. British police have identified 195 "investigative opportunities" and believe she could still be alive.
Matthew Badger: The Connecticut father of three girls who died in a Christmas Day fire spoke publicly for the first time since the tragedy. He has launched the Lily Sarah Grace Fund, which will help support elementary school teachers who incorporate the arts into their teaching.
Rodney King Today: Twenty years after video of King's beating by Los Angeles police officers sparked riots and spurred a national conversation on police violence and race, King says he's come to terms with what happened.
Waterboarding: Jose Rodriguez, the retired CIA officer in charge of the interrogation and detention program during the Bush administration, has written a book called "Hard Measures," due out April 30. The book explained why he ordered waterboarding videos to be destroyed and criticized the President Obama for calling him and his colleagues torturers.
HEALTH, SCIENCE & NATURE
Hummingbird Migration 2012: Migratory birds, including the hummingbird, have arrived ahead of schedule from Wisconsin to New Jersey, thanks to an early spring.
Hand Sanitizer: Teens in Los Angeles County have been hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. Their drink of choice? Distilled hand sanitizer.
Godzillus: Animal, mineral, or plant? Experts are trying to figure out what a 6-foot-long, 150-pound fossil found in northern Kentucky used to be. Its origins trace back 450 million years, when the region was underwater. Opinions are leaning toward a primordial sponge or kelp.
Mad Cow Disease: USDA testing of a randomly selected dead cow at a central California rendering plant revealed the animal had bovine spongiform encephalopathy. One South Korean retailer took U.S. beef off its shelves, but U.S. public health officials said the risk of contracting the disease is low, especially since the cow wasn't part of a process that would enter into the human food chain.
BUSINESS & MONEY
Abandoned Ferrari: Start saving. Rumors that a $1 million Ferrari Enzo would be auctioned off in Dubai were premature. The Ferrari, hibernating in the impound lot for eight months, may become part of a "high-performance auction" this fall.
Google Drive: The cloud just got more congested. Google launched its new cloud-based document and storage solution, offering 5GB free and upgrades for between $2.49 and $49.99 a month.
Coca-Cola Stock: The multinational beverage company offers its first stock split in 16 years. The two-for-one split is part of the plan to double revenue over the next few years.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
When Is Administrative Professionals Day? Don't forget to thank your support staff!
G.I. Joe: Retaliation: The kick-ass action film starring Bruce Willis debuted its trailer yesterday.
'Dancing With the Stars': Gladys Knight and dance pro Tristan MacManus got the boot, but Knight's 60-pound weight loss is burning lookups for "Freshology."
CELEBRITIES & NEWSMAKERS
Louis le Brocquy: The Irish expressionist painter, known for his abstracts of Ireland's literary and artistic stars, died Wednesday at age 95.
People's Most Beautiful: New mom Beyonce has been named World's Most Beautiful Woman by People Magazine. "I feel more beautiful than I've ever felt because I've given birth," the 30-year-old told the mag. Related search: most beautiful woman
SPORTS
Chris Herren: This former Celtics player who almost died from his heroin addiction was honored by the team for his work with Project Purple, a program to help addicts.
Andrew Luck Lawsuit: Leaf Trading Cards sued the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft when lawyers for the Stanford player demanded that the company stop selling trading cards with his image. Welcome to the big leagues, kid.
Ariane Friedrich: The German high jumper posted the name and address of her alleged stalker on Facebook. The star athlete, who's been harassed in the past, explained, "It's time to act, it's time to defend myself. I'm not willing to be a victim again."
Buff Bagwell: The former WCW wrestling star is in intensive care in an Atlanta-area hospital after flipping his Jeep.
Metta World Peace: The L.A. Lakers player and 2011 recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award has been suspended for seven games without pay for elbowing opposing player James Harden. Yes, there much irony in this.
Chipper Jones: Atlanta Braves third baseman celebrated the big 40 the usual way: with a home run. This was his fourth birthday homer and likely his last, as he is retiring from the big leagues.
HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WEB
What's popular on Yahoo!, Twitter, Google Trends, CNN, BBC, Hollywood Reporter, and other sources.
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