April 2012 Archives

A bright purple crab and four other species were found on the Philippine Island of Palawan.

This neon colored crab was discovered by Hendrik Freitag, of Germany's Senckenberg Museum of Zoology reported News 24.

These crabs are hard to miss in that their bodies are a bright purple color and claws are almost a florescent orange reported National Geographic.

According to News 24, these crabs lay their eggs in fresh water, and the eggs emerge into already young crabs. They normally forge for food at night.

Freitag told National Geographic that these crabs evolved by a fluke and that there is no real use for the color except for show.

An Oak Grove boy dies after an accident on his dirt bike while riding in his local motor cross track.

Nicholas Engler, a 9-year-old Oak Grove boy dies after a falling off his dirt bike reported Minnesota CBS.

Investigators say that Engler died of from head trauma and was later pronounced dead at the scene reported KARE 11.

According to Minnesota CBS, Engler went out to the track with all of his protective gear on, including his helmet, to fun the coarse a few time. Other kids in his neighborhood saw him and ran to grab their shoe so they could watch. By the time they returned Engler was on the ground motionless.

Englers father, an Oak Grove fire fighter, was the first to arrive on the scene reported KARE 11. He tried every means to save his son, but to no arrest.

According to Minnesota CBS, Engler would have turned 10-years-old in a month.

Minnesota bill would set up a wolf hunting season in November this coming right after wolves being removed from the endangered species list.

The bill is being pushed in order to protect live stock and other attacks from roaming wolves reported KARE 11.

In the 1990's the Department of Natural Resources held a conference to discuses the issue of the grey wolf and decided that if and when the grey wolf got off the endangered list there would be a five year hold on hunting them reported KARE 11.

During a special session this year the Legislature they removed the five year hold on hunting reported Minnesota Public Radio.

According to KARE 11, some of the American Indian society believe that they are spiritually connected to these wolves and the hunting of the wolves that aren't harming livestock or disturbing the peace. The Indians believe that if wolves are hunted it would mirror in their on lives, turning up in things like their economy, farming and way of life.

According to Minnesota Public Radio, hunters and farmers are pushing to pass the bill, but a fight between two state senators has recently halted the bill.

The U.N. votes to send more monitors to Syria in hopes to help the recent cease fire.

The U.N. security supported a legal binding resolution, calling for peace and deployed of more monitors reported USA Today.

Along with the deployment on more monitors to Syria the U.N. called for an end to the violence and demanded compliance with Kofi Annan's 6-point plan reported CNN International.

According to USA Today, while the U.N. was talking peace in New York, the cease fire in Syria was broken in the Syrian city of Homs. Syrian troops shelled neighborhoods and rebel fighters fired rocket propelled grenades, both causing more damaged to the war stricken city.

This is the first time since the Syrian conflict that the U.N. has united behind a resolution to the war in Syria reported USA Today.

After 33 years the search for a lost child starts up again when cadaver dogs pick up a sent in a building near where he disappeared.

The FBI and the New York Police Department began to dig up the basement of a building down the street from where Etan Patz's lived reported USA Today.

According to ABC News Etan Patz was 6-years-old when he was last seen a few blocks away from his home.

Authorizes continue to remove cement chunks from the basement floor of the 127 Prince St. in the SoHo that was used by a neighborhood handy-man, Othneil Miller, reported USA Today. Miller was not and is not considered a suspect in the disappearance of Patz.

According to ABC News, no evidence has been found in Patz's missing child case. FBI and NYPD predict that it will take five days to finish up digging the cement floor.

The largest feathered animal, living or extinct, unearth in China is a dinosaur.

The dinosaur is a smaller and furrier cousin of the Tyrannosaurs Rex family reported Discovery News. They are the largest feathered dinosaur found and are said to be 40 times the weight of the second larges feathered dinosaur.

There have been three specimens found in good preserved condition with their feathers still around them reported The New York Times.The specimens are roughly 125-million-years-old.

Scientist think that these dinosaurs had more fuzzy feathers like baby birds instead of having actual plums of feathers. They also think that the feathers were used for insulation and show reported Discovery News.

According to The New York Times, the discovery of these specimens give insight as to the evolution of feathers.

They topic as to what specifically the feathers were used for other then insulation is still being debated along with the idea of other dinosaurs also having some feathers reported The New York Times.

This new species is called Yutyrannus huali, which translated means "beautiful featherd tryant" reported The New York Times.

The World Shakespeare Festival kicks off in Britain with over 30 theaters hosting 70 Shakespeare productions from companies based all over the world.

From June until September, running before, during and after the London Summer Olympic Games, Britain is hosting the London 2012 Festival reported The New York Times.

These productions of Shakespearian works range from 23 new productions to 21 productions that were made specifically for the festival its self reported Travel-News.

According to The New York Times, the productions aren't just limited to the theater, the festival also includes music, art, sculpture, film among others. The plan is to have an arts showcase that would rival the sports showcase that is the Olympics.

Events to look forward to include the reconstructed Shakespeare Globe Theaters production of 37 of Shakespeare's plays in 37 different languages reported Travel-News.

The festival doesn't come with a cheap price even after the recent government cut backs in the arts reported The New York Times.

According to The Guardian, the festival is said to cost more then $154 million.

Large pine trees standing in a row, or what golfers like to call "Jail" didn't stop the Master.

Sunday evening, Bubba Watson from Bagdad Florida shot through the line of pines, and eventually went on to win the 76th Masters Golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in August Georgia reported The Washington Post.

Watson beat out Louis Oosthuizen from South Africa on Easter Sunday on the second play off hole after he had landed in the woods far from the hole reported the New York Daily News.

According to The Washington Post, Oosthuizen got to the playoffs by his own miraculous swings, a double eagle two on a par five in the second hole.

Watson and Oosthuizen finished one point apart, Watson with 68 and Oosthuizen with a 69 reported the New York Daily News.

Watson told the New York Daily News that he hit the crazy shot he had pictured in his head and now he's wearing the green jacket of a Master.

According to The Washington Post, Watson immediately started to sob after sinking the par, and looks forward to teaching his son to see a chance in something that others think as hopeless.

Hundreds of gay Minnesotans, and gay marriage supporters gathered in front of the Capitol during the yearly Equality Rally.

According to KARE 11 each year hundreds gather outside of the capitol Thursday to listen to speeches and songs about love and civil rights.

This years rally was very important due to the upcoming vote in November on the constitutional amendment that would potentially ban gay marriage in Minnesota reported the Star Tribune.

Governor Mark Dayton even joined the rally and told the crowd that he had a dream that voters defeated the amendment reported KARE 11.

Two groups at the center of the argument, Just Vote No and OutFront Minnesota, both spent Thursday morning learning techniques and lobbying against the amendment reported the Star Tribune.

According to the Star Tribune both sides of the amendment are increasing the money put toward their campaign greatly and advertising to sway Minnesotan voters before November.

The Just Vote No organization have started a door-to-door campaign in hopes to increase their support reported Star Tribune.

In June the annual Twins Cities Pride Festival will be a major rallying point for those to are against the amendment reported the Star Tribune.

A rally of thousands of hooded people gathered on the University of Minnesota campus to protest the shooting of an unarmed African America teenager.

Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman because Zimmerman though Martin looked "suspicious" while walking down the street with his hood up on the night of February 29, reported the Minnesota Daily.

Minneapolis police told the Star Tribune that the rally on Thursday night had about 5,500 people dressed in sweatshirts.

According to the Minnesota Daily the police worked with the rally organizer, Jenny Belsito, to make sure that everything would go smoothly and safely. Many protestors carried signs and photos of Martin.

Among the many speakers were Brother Ali, a Minneapolis rapper. Ali told the Star Tribune that he has a privilege to wear a hoodie while others don't.

Belsito started the group rally over Facebook and thought that it would be just be 30 of her friends, but was surprised to see over 5,000 people show up reported the Minnesota Daily.

According to the Star Tribune, this rally was part of an online campaign called "A Million Hoodies for Trayvon Martin".

China holds over 97 percent of the earth's rare earth mineral's that are used in things from car batteries to advanced energy technologies.

There are 17 elements that fall in to the rare earth minerals, but in reality they aren't rare, but quiet common. They are just found in very small amounts, which aren't cost efficient enough to mine reported National Geographic.

According to ABC News, the United States, Japan and the European Union have filed a complaint against China for the use to minerals. They feel that China needs to loosen its grip on their exports so that the price for these minerals will go down.

Many scientist are trying to find substitutes for these minerals to possible eliminate the high demand on them, reported National Geographic.

According to National Geographic, the complaint is being moved forward slowly within the World Trade Organization, and scientists from rare-mineral countries are hoping to find a substitute soon.

Wild gained their third straight victory, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4.

Erik Christensen and Devin Setoguchi provided the last shoot out goal after a no score overtime, ending the game. Setoguchi made the 1-1 shoot out tie breaker goal and game winning point over Chicago's goalie, Ray Emery reported the Pioneer Press.

Setoguchi scored the Wilds first goal of the game and his 19th goal at the 10:11 minute mark, which was answered 34 seconds later with a goal from Chicago's Patrick Sharp reported the Pioneer Press.

The Wild scored three minutes later making the score 2-1 reported the Star Tribune. In the second, Chicago slipped past Minnesota's defense and scored tying them at two at 5:28.

According to the Pioneer Press, the goal was answer 13 seconds later, by Wild's Clayton Stoner.

Chicago's Brodziak swept in a rebound while falling to the ice, 41 seconds later to make it 4-2 reported the Star Tribune. At 8:20 in the third Chicago's Kane brought it to 4-3.

According to the Star Tribune, Patrick Kane for Chicago scored the tying goal with 2:34 minutes left in the game.The goal was not to be answered until Setoguchi's shoot out final goal.

Chicago's goalie blocked 26 shots, and Minnesota's Harding made 31 saves reported the Pioneer Press. The Wild take their third straight game win.

"The Hunger Games" places first in the box office for the second week in a row in United States and Canada.

The movie raked in $61.1 million from Friday to Sunday taking first in the box office over "Wrath of the Titans", which produced $34.2 million dollars. "Hunger Games" had over a $251 profit in North America in the first 10 days of its release reported Toronto Sun.

The predecessor to "Wrath of the Titans", "Clash of the Titans", made $61.2 million last year, but opened on Easter, allowing a younger audience to see the movie reported the Huffington Post.

According to the Huffington Post, the movie in the last two weeks made over a $365 million dollars worldwide.

"The Hunger Games" on its way to making over $300 million dollars domestically, beating out other teen-fiction moive-books such as "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" reported the Huffington Post.

According to the Huffington Post, the movie industry has a $2.6 billion total in revenue in the United Stated this year, which is up 20 percent from last year.

New Vikings Stadium bill calls for electronic bingo and pull tabs in bars and restaurants within Hennepin County in order to help fund the almost $975 million construction.

In the newly proposed bill, the state would pay $398 million for the construction of the stadium with the help of the revenue from the bars and restaurants with electronic bingo and pull tabs reported the Star Tribune.

This would then give charitable gaming a $36 million tax break, but there still would be a $10 million gap between what the state needs to provide and what the revenue from the charitable gaming (bingo and pull tabs) would produce reported the Star Tribune.The bingo and pull tabs is suspected to bring in about $42 million a year for the charitable gaming industry.

Acording to the Pioneer Press, there are four back-up plans within the proposal if the bingo and pull tabs don't produce enough revenue which include a tax on luxury suits, a sport lottery game, the excuss sales tax being collected in Hennepin County or a stadium admission tax.

The proposal has had a Minnesota State senate hearing without a vote and is scheduled to have it first hearing in the House Monday, April 2 reported the Pioneer Press.

The likelihood of a child being diagnosed with Autism and like disorders has increased to one in 88, up more then 20 precent, from 2006 to 2008 according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report shows the steady increase of diagnosis from one in 155 children in 2002 till on in 88 in 2008 reported The New York TImes. That is a 78 percent increase since 2002.

According to USA Today, the increase was seen more in Hispanic and African American children then in Caucasian children.

The increased in Autism, along with other related disorders is seen more in boys then it it is in girls. Of boys 8-years-old, one in 54 will be diagnosed, while girls 8-years-old have a one in 252 chance of being diagnosed reported The New York TImes.

The reasons for the seen increase is thought to be a mixture of the broad definition for what Autism is, the increased awareness, or actual increases in children with the disorder reported The New York Times.

The New York Times reported that the doctors working to update the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders are giving a new more specific definition of Autism, and will be released sometime in 2013.

According to USA Today, these numbers given by the C.D.C. were gathered from 14 surveillance sites around the nation that record the number of 8-year-olds diagnosed with Autism and other related disorders.