Gulf of Mexico oil spill expanding; submarines to try to stop leak
After an explosion aboard an oil rig four days ago, an oil spill caused by the sinking of the rig has expanded to cover an area of around 600 square miles (1550 square kilometers), and efforts to shut off the leak have thus far been unsuccessful.Officials have begun to use robotic submersible vehicles to stop the leak. The...
Cuban tobacco grower Alejandro Robaina dies at age 91
One of Cuba's leading cigar makers, Alejandro Robaina, died at the age of 91 of cancer, with which he was diagnosed last year. His death was announced by Jose Antonio Candia, spokesman for the cigar company Habanos S.A. Robaina was the only Cuban tobacco grower to have a brand of cigars named after him.Robaina was known as...
As Gitmo Detainees’ legal victories mount, Obama administration resists orders to release
By Chisun LeeThe US government is failing in more and more cases to produce evidence that the men it has imprisoned at Guantanamo belong there, according to ProPublica's latest look at the lawsuits that some 100 captives have filed in federal court to seek their freedom. But the Obama administration continues to challenge the...
ToyBox Radio Show: 5 Things Every New Parent Must Know
Being a first time parent can be scary. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, you’ll feel confident once you understand the 5 Things every new parent must know. If you know a new parent, please share this episode of ToyBox radio with them....
Volcanic eruption starts on top of Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland
A volcanic eruption has started under the top of Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland, producing plumes of steam rising up to 5,000 feet over the glacier. The eruption has created a large hole in the glacier, as well as a fissure that is forming under the glacier, which is now around 2 kilometers (1 mi) long.People in the...
US military to carry out review following Wikileaks release of classified 2007 video
Following the release of classified video earlier this week, the US military is to carry out a review of a 2007 airstrike which occured in Baghdad. At a press conference on April 5, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., the whistleblowing wiki Wikileaks released a video which appears to contradict the official...
Video of journalists’ death answers some questions, but raises others
By Marian Wang. This article originally appeared on ProPublica.On Monday, WikiLeaks made a big splash when it released a still-classified military video [1] from 2007 that shows a U.S. helicopter gunship shooting down a group of men in a suburb of Baghdad.Reactions to the video range [2] widely: Some believe it betrays a...
25 dead after mine explosion in West Virginia
25 miners are confirmed dead, two injured and four missing after an explosion in a West Virginia coal mine Monday. The incident occurred in the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. It is the deadliest mining accident in the United States since 1984. Search and rescue operations were suspended Tuesday due to...
Monarch butterfly population down by as much as 60%
After a year of turbulent weather in Mexico and destruction of their habitat, the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population could be down by as much as 50% to 60% this year, experts say.A gathering area for the butterflies northwest of Mexico City was affected particularly hard by severe weather this winter, which...
US and Mexico to revise counter-drug strategy
On Tuesday the United States and Mexico announced a new strategy to combat increasingly violent drug movements across the border between the two countries. According to American officials, the new plan would place more emphasis on local law enforcement, as well as providing aid to cities affected by the drug trade. It would...
