Published on May 20, 2013 CNN’s George Howell talks with a family whose children were at Plaza Towers Elementary just before the tornado hit. For more CNN videos
Accident Prone Miguel
Didn’t Miguel fall off the stage while performing a couple of months ago? Now he kicks two women while performing at the Bill Board Awards.What’s his problem?
Ben Tried To ChangeThe Alphabet
Ben Franklin wanted to lose six of our letters. (Shutterstock
Ben Franklin Tried to Change Our Alphabet
His phonetic approach never took off
By Arden Dier, Newser Staff
If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he’d probably be a dynamite texter. As Smithsonian explains, Franklin once designed a phonetic alphabet for the nation because he thought the one in place was too unwieldy. Alas, it never caught on. Some highlights of his “A Reformed Mode of Spelling,” first developed in 1768:
• Ditch the letters C, J, Q, W, X, and Y because Franklin found them to be redundant or just plain confusing. Who needs a “C,” for example, when the letters K and S can handle its hard and soft sounds.
• Each letter should have only one sound, including vowels. To make long vowel sounds, double them up.
• Franklin added six of his own letters to cover the sounds for a soft O, “ng,” “sh,” and “th” (actually two for that one); and one to replace the “un” and “um” combinations.
• Franklin used his alphabet to write a letter to a friend. The sign-off “I am, my dear friend, yours affectionately” is “yi am, myi diir frind, iurs afekhynetli.” (OK, that might seem unwieldy, too, but Franklin swore his system was more logical and would be adapted quickly once people got the hang of it.)
Franklin’s idea intrigued dictionary maker Noah Webster, but never went much further. Another historical figure who dabbled unsuccessfully in changing the language? Isaac Newton.
Up to 20% Of Kids Have A Mental Disorder
Up to 20% of US kids have mental disorders, the CDC finds. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)
Up to 20% of US Kids Have Mental Disorder
Prevalence has been increasing for years
By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff
The CDC is out with its first report on mental disorders and kids, and the bottom line is a pretty heavy one: 13% to 20% of kids between ages 3 and 17 now suffer from a mental disorder, per the AFP. And that has costly implications: The disorders spur $247 billion in medical, special ed, and juvenile justice costs every year, says the report, which defines said disorders as “serious deviations from expected cognitive, social, and emotional development.” The report noted such diagnoses are on the rise, a determination made after reviewing data spanning from 1994 to 2011.
Authors didn’t offer a definitive explanation for the increase in prevalence, but said improved diagnosis and “public perception” could be part of it, reports Reuters. ADHD was the most common disorder, affecting 6.8% of kids. Also on the list:
• behavioral conduct problems: 3.5%
• anxiety/phobias: 3%
• depression: 2.1%
• autism spectrum disorders: 1.1%
• Tourette syndrome: 0.2%
OJ Finally Takes The Stand
O.J. Simpson Takes the Stand: What Happened in Hotel Room Hold-Up?
The IRS Wants YOU
The IRS wants YOU — to share everything
By DAVID NATHER, TARINI PARTI and BYRON TAU | 5/14/13 7:36 PM EDT Updated: 5/15/13 8:27 AM EDT
The Internal Revenue Service asked tea party groups to see donor rolls.
It asked for printouts of Facebook posts.
And it asked what books people were reading.
A POLITICO review of documents from 11 tea party and conservative groups that the IRS scrutinized in 2012 shows the agency wanted to know everything — in some cases, it even seemed curious what members were thinking. The review included interviews with groups or their representatives from Hawaii, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas and elsewhere.
The long-awaited Treasury Department inspector general report released Tuesday says the agency itself decided some of its questions to conservative groups were way over the line — especially the one about donors.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/the-irs-wants-you-to-share-everything-91378.html#ixzz2TMpu56Fk
Angelina Jolie Has Double Mastectomy To Reduce Her Risk Of Cancer
