Posted: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010
Toyota Apologizes; GA Bobsledder May Medal At Olympics; Hips Like A Drug To Men
By Veronica Waters
- The pressure's on Toyota to win back the public's trust. President Akio Toyoda today apologizes on Capitol Hill, saying his company grew too quickly to keep up with safety controls. Tuesday, Toyota's top U. S. official, Jim Lentz, tried to reassure Congress the company will no longer try to sweep gas pedal problems under the floor mat, so to speak, but he acknowledged a recall may not fully address the problem of sudden accelerations. Lentz says they're investigating whether an electronics glitch played a role.
- McEachern High School standout Rajaan Bennett will be remembered in a memorial service tonight at his school. Vanderbilt's coach will speak at the service for the 18-year-old who was the top-rated player in the school's football recruiting class this year. Police have now revealed that Bennett was shot to death in a revenge effort by his mother's ex-boyfriend--because she broke up with him. Bennett's funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
- Douglasville bobsledder Elana Meyers' team is in contention for a medal at the Olympics. Sled USA-2 is a a mere .13 of a second behind the Canadian leaders heading into the final two runs today.
- We knew men liked hips, but a Georgia Gwinnett College researcher has proven it with science. Steven Platek says brain tests that evaluated men's reactions to pictures of who'd had plastic surgery to get curvier hips and booties found that men responded to the curves the same way an alcoholic does to beer.
- DeKalb County Commissioners approve a new budget--without a property tax increase. CEO Burrell Ellis says, though, that higher taxes may be inevitable eventually. The $565 million budget eliminates pay raises and most holiday pay for county employees. The CEO is also taking a pay cut.
- To cut costs, Georgia may cut days--out of the school year. The State Department of Education is calling for flexibility for school systems now facing more than a billion dollars in slashed state funding. They're considering whether legislation is needed to lessen the 180-day school year in an effort to reduce spending.
- Playgirl is offering Michael Vick a million dollars to reveal his kibble and bits. The magazine says if the Eagles quarterback poses naked for them, they'll donate the money to PETA. Playgirl spokesman Daniel Nardicio told Life and Style magazine, "I figured he paid back society for dog fighting, but what about the animals? "This way he could donate a large sum to PETA and all he'd have to do is pose for the magazine! It's kind of a win-win situation!" For the record, PETA has been quite anti-Vick since he wrapped up a 20-month sentence for bankrolling a dogfighting operation. Vick has been working closely with the Humane Society of the United States to preach against the evils of the blood sport.
- Aides say former VP Dick Cheney will likely be home soon from the hospital after suffering a mild heart attack. He's had four others since age 37.
- A Florida woman says her love handles saved her life! 35-year-old Samantha Lynn Frazier (right) was walking into a New Jersey bar when she heard a couple of pops, grabbed her side, and saw blood. Police say Frazier was an innocent bystander; the gunman was aiming at someone else. Frazier believes her extra padding saved her and says while she used to want to lose weight, now she plans to "get as big as I can if it's going to stop a bullet."
- In KISS news about your health: a midday nap may make you smarter. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley say your brain can get a little clogged up as the day goes on--kind of like a crowded e-mail inbox. Napping at midday, when the brain's ability to learn may have deteriorated, helped adults increase brain capacity by at least 10%. Those who didn't nap in the study actually decreased their ability to memorize.
- A 29-year-old banker from Dallas wins the special election to fill the vacant seat of ex-Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson, who resigned amid ethics complaints and allegations of an affair with a lobbyist. Daniel Stout has admitted that 10 years ago, he had an affair with his mother-in-law while his first wife was pregnant. Stout says they didn't have sex, but his marriage broke up. He's since remarried.
- Students at the University of Mississippi vote that yes, they want a new mascot. Now, Ole Miss begins the process of selecting one; a student committee will be put together to come up with some options. The school retired "Colonel Reb" about seven years ago; he was a caricature of a plantation owner. Reb still appears on UM bumper stickers and other paraphernalia.
- The KISS 104.1 weather forecast: a 50% chance of drizzle and snow flurries this morning, then a chance of late-day sunshine. Look for a breezy high around 44 today.
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