News for Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Cards lose Schumaker, fall to Braves 10-7

Skip Schumaker doesn’t enjoy watching the St. Louis Cardinals add to their injury woes, particularly when he’s the newest name on the list. Schumaker suffered a hamstring injury he fears will send him to the disabled list during the Cardinals’ 10-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.

Remnants of Beryl head back toward Atlantic

The remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl headed toward the Atlantic on Wednesday, skimming the Carolinas coast and prompting flood watches in eastern North Carolina. Beryl was expected to gain strength even as it was losing its tropical characteristics.

Seattle cafe gunman may have shot self

Police say the man believed to have opened fire Wednesday at a Seattle cafe, killing three people, apparently shot himself.

Fox exec says criticized Obama video unauthorized

Fox News Channel's morning show on Wednesday twice aired a nearly 4-minute video that contrasted President Barack Obama's words with negative statistics about his administration in a format that looked similar to a campaign advertisement.

South Callaway rolls into Class 2 title game

In a season of firsts for the South Callaway Bulldogs, they have a chance to play for one more: first place. The Bulldogs, appearing in their first-ever Class 2 baseball semifinal, defeated the Clever Blue Jays 5-2 Wednesday at Meador Park. With the victory, South Callaway will play the Valle Catholic Warriors today in the championship game.

'Piranha 3DD' hopes to lure in moviegoers again

It's a sink or swim moment for the filmmakers behind the sequel to "Piranha 3D."

Market fears send key interest rate to 66-year low

The drop in a key interest rate to a 66-year low is a sign of one thing — fear. Traders don't actually think a Treasury note paying 1.62 percent is a good investment. They just trust Uncle Sam to keep their money safe if Europe falls apart.

FDA rejects new name for high fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup won't get a wholesome new name after all. The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday rejected the Corn Refiners Association's bid to rename its sweetening agent "corn sugar."

Google giving away Zagat ratings in search results

Google is adding a new entree to its menu: free restaurant ratings from the Zagat review service. Zagat, which Google bought in September, was charging $25 annually or $5 monthly for online access to its survey of diners. Those diners have rated about 35,000 restaurants in more than 100 cities around the world.

American to hold new round of talks with unions

American Airlines plans to start contract talks this week with its unions while it waits for a federal bankruptcy judge to decide whether the company can impose its own terms on workers.

TiVo swings to $20.8M 1Q loss

TiVo Inc. said Wednesday that it posted a $20.8 million fiscal first-quarter loss, reversing a profit in the same quarter last year, as hefty costs more than offset a jump in revenue.

UN observers in Syria find 13 bound corpses

BEIRUT (AP) — U.N. observers have discovered 13 bound corpses in eastern Syria, many of them apparently shot execution-style, the monitoring mission said Wednesday.

Wis. Sen. Johnson aids Brunner in Mo. campaign

Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson parlayed a career in manufacturing into a seat in the U.S. Senate. Now, Johnson is trying to help a Missouri Republican with a similar background accomplish the same thing.

Oil prices headed for biggest drop since 2008

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil is headed for its biggest monthly decline since December 2008.

Small business employment, revenue growing

NEW YORK (AP) — Revenue and staffing are both growing at small businesses but have yet to get back to pre-recession levels, according to data released by business software provider Intuit Inc. on Wednesday.

Dog helps some get through the court process

Sophie, a mutt of a dog with draping ears and dotted brows, is helping people in St. Louis County court tell stories of crime to judges, investigators and attorneys.

Book Review: Cranky old man brings fresh voice to crime

"Don't Ever Get Old" (Minotaur), by Daniel Friedman

At 87, Baruch Schatz, better known as Buck, has a lot to deal with — remembering all his medications, worrying about early stage dementia and finding a place he can light up one of the endless string of Lucky Strike cigarettes without being hassled. No wonder he's reluctant to deal with an enemy from World War II, a fortune in Nazi gold and the gory deaths that surround it.

'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek has all the answers

Let's take "Breakfast" for $500: An Oh Henry! chocolate bar and a Diet Pepsi. And here's the question: What did Alex Trebek consume a couple of hours before this breakfast interview?

Mo. veterans nursing homes to get casino fees

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation redirecting casino fees to nursing homes for military veterans.

Guard acknowledges 4 soldiers looted in Joplin

The Missouri National Guard is confirming that four soldiers were disciplined for stealing merchandise from a Wal-Mart that was destroyed by a tornado in Joplin last year.

Chen, timely hitting lead Royals past Indians, 6-3

Bruce Chen overcame a rocky second inning and the Kansas City Royals scored their first five runs with two outs in a 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.

Mo. Legislature officially ends its 2012 session

Missouri's annual legislative session has officially come to a close.

Your Opinion: Guideline linked to Obamacare

Does anyone pay attention? Doe anyone read between the lines? I feel it is my obligation to explain the latest Obamacare farce as a practicing physician and, more importantly, a prostate cancer survivor.

Your Opinion: No tolerance for intolerant people

My new motto is: “I will no longer tolerate those who do not tolerate me.”

Our Opinion: Diversion of tobacco-related revenues continues

Paltry spending among the states on tobacco-prevention programs has rankled the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Auto Warranty Firm Settles Charges With Missouri

As soon as you buy a used car, your mailbox quickly fills with urgent messages from companies that want to sell you an extended service contract, often called extended warranties.

St. Louis Co. passes copper theft bill

A new law in St. Louis County addresses the frequent theft of copper, catalytic converters and air conditioner parts.

Laser concerns near Lambert Airport

Two more incidents involving lasers pointed at aircraft are under investigation in St. Louis.

Cotton planting on the rise in Missouri

Cotton crops may be dwindling in the major cotton states, but planting is on the rise in Missouri.

JCPS warns of fake fundraising

he Jefferson City Public Schools has learned several young people are going door-to-door in the Jefferson City area selling magazine subscriptions, saying they are raising funds for the Jays Soccer team to travel to Hawaii.

Sens say Missouri River flooding a unifying moment

Two U.S. senators who symbolize disagreements between upstream and downstream states over management of the Missouri River say last year’s historic flooding was a unifying moment.

Suit may have ended Franklin Co. meeting prayers

It appears that a lawsuit against an eastern Missouri county board has ended the practice of a prayer before its meetings.

Puppies for Parole prepares dogs for adoption, rehabilitating prisoners

A Labrador mix and “smart as a little whip,” Nala has the distinction of being the 50th dog to be rescued, trained and on her way to a permanent home through the Puppies for Parole at Algoa Correctional Center.

City seeks RFPs on latest conference center concept

The latest conference center concept for Jefferson City soon will go out to developers and hoteliers as the city looks to issue a request for proposals.

State employee recognition event set for Thursday

Missouri’s annual “State Employee Recognition Week” is under way through Friday.

Lincoln to ‘ice’ winter commencement

Blame the budget. Lincoln University has held its last winter commencement for the time being.

Tool-wielding robots crawl in bodies for surgery

Imagine a tiny snake robot crawling through your body, helping a surgeon identify diseases and perform operations.

Bill limiting shifts at state hospital on Nixon’s desk

Fulton State Hospital employees could see an end to mandatory back-to-back eight-hour shifts in any 24-hour period under legislation awaiting action by Gov. Jay Nixon.

Deals with banks stack fees on college students

It took Mario Parker-Milligan less than a semester to decide that he was paying too many fees to Higher One, the company hired by his college to pay out students' financial aid on debit cards.

Appeals Court: Inmate should get day in court

A state prison inmate should get his chance to fight a state effort to take some of his money, the state appeals court in Kansas City ruled Tuesday.

Elaborate wedding proposal video goes viral

Isaac Lamb acknowledges that his five-minute, block-long choreographed build-up to a marriage proposal has upped the stakes for everyone who follows.

SEC coaches want football playoff to include top 4

Football coaches from the powerhouse and recently expanded SEC were in unison Tuesday that they want a proposed four-team playoff to include the best teams in the country — and not be tied to conference champions.

Man assaulted by off-duty cop can’t be paid from state fund

Missouri has a State Legal Expense Fund to pay court-ordered damages when the defendant is a state official or employed by a state-created agency.

South Callaway hoping offensive surge leads to state title

In South Callaway head coach Jared Wood’s opinion, this type of production is simply essential.

Even police shocked by gore in face-mauling attack

It is being called one of this city's goriest crimes: A naked man was on top of another nude man along a busy highway, biting into the man's face, tearing it to pieces. A police officer arrived to help, but the mauler growled at him and continued to chew away, stopping only when he was shot to death.

Americans grew gloomier about the economy in May

Americans grew much gloomier about the economy in May, causing a critical measure of consumer confidence to suffer its biggest decline in eight months and ending a period of steady optimism.

Survey: Many Teens Believe Distracted Driving Isn't a Big Deal

Only 30 percent feel it's very dangerous, Consumer Reports finds

When it comes to teenage driving, most parents would probably prefer their teens drive by themselves, as opposed to having a car full of other teenagers to distract them. But a Consumer Reports survey shows that having peers in the car can actually keep teenage drivers from being distracted by cell phone use or texting.

Chiefs rookies getting used to life in the NFL

A common assumption is the biggest difference between college football and the NFL is between the white lines. The game is faster, and the players bigger and stronger. Well, Dontari Poe has the physical part down already. The biggest difference for the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick has been mental.

'American Colony' peers inside religious commune

Bertha Hofer deserves to be one of the summer's biggest, if unlikeliest, TV stars. In the narrowest sense, she's yet another working mom opening up her life to the camera.

Unlikely duo: Kings, Devils set for Cup final

A little less than two years after battling for the services of high-scoring free agent forward Ilya Kovalchuk, the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings are going after a bigger prize — the Stanley Cup. To tell the truth, hardly anyone picked the Devils and Kings to get this far.

Idaho: Five Wives Vodka offensive to residents

Five Wives Vodka was named in bad taste and won't be stocked or special ordered at stores operated by the state of Idaho, regulators said.

Mexico protects PepsiCo subsidiary after attacks

Mexican police are providing stepped-up security for a PepsiCo subsidiary targeted by firebomb attacks over the weekend, official said Tuesday.

Pipeline firm pays $1M for spills in 3 states

A Texas-based pipeline company has agreed to pay more than a $1 million fine for three spills in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, as well as invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in safety and equipment upgrades, federal officials announced Tuesday.

TV cameras trained on dogs during summer 2012

Summer television used to mean reruns. This year it's gone to the dogs.

Senator Calls Out Airlines Over Seating Priority Fees

Families often not able to sit together, Schumer complains

Remember when you got to choose where you were going to sit on an airliner? Now, airlines place a fee on the most desirable seats. As a result, families traveling together don't get to sit together unless they're willing to pay extra.

Iran, other Mideast states hit by computer virus

Iran and other Middle East countries have been hit with a cunning computer virus that can eavesdrop on computer users and their co-workers and filch information from nearby cellphones, cybersecurity experts said Tuesday. And suspicion immediately fell on Israel as the culprit.

ND: Bakken wells will pump for nearly 3 decades

A typical well drilled in North Dakota's rich Bakken and Three Forks formations will produce about 540,000 barrels of oil during its 29-year lifespan and will generate more than $20 million in net profit, according to state Department of Mineral Resources data.

Google, Samsung unveil new version of Chromebook

Google will try to win more converts to a computer operating system revolving around its popular Chrome Web browser with a new wave of lightweight laptops built by Samsung Electronics.

Remote Coaching Can Help With Weight Loss

Study finds that technology and financial incentives can improve diet, activity level

Looking for a way to take weight off and keep it off? Forget the fad diets and hyped exercises -- the answer may lie with remote coaching by email, financial incentives and other modification behavior techniques, according to a report of a randomized controlled trial published in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

One Million More Turbocharged Vehicles On the Road This Year

Consumers find proven technology attractive

With gasoline prices at elevated levels in recent years, consumers are looking for more fuel efficient cars. In some cases that means looking at smaller cars with smaller engines.

Wells Fargo, Memphis resolve mortgage lawsuit

Wells Fargo said Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Memphis and Shelby County to resolve a discriminatory lending practices lawsuit filed against the bank.

SpaceX signs 1st customer for big new rocket

Space Exploration Technologies says it has signed its first commercial contract for a new rocket that will be more powerful than the one that launched the company's Dragon capsule to the International Space Station last week.

CNN hiring chef Anthony Bourdain for weekend show

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain will begin hosting a new show next year on — of all places — the news network CNN.

Randy Travis accuses ex of betraying information

County music singer Randy Travis is accusing his ex-wife of divulging confidential information about him in order to damage his reputation and career.

Parker leads Spurs to 2-0 series lead

San Antonio is halfway to turning the Western Conference finals into a runaway.

Tuesday's American League Capsules

AMERICAN LEAGUE ROUNDUP: Philip Humber won for the first time since throwing a perfect game in April, helping the Chicago White Sox extend their winning streak to seven games with a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

Tuesday's National League Capsules

NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP: Anibal Sanchez allowed only an unearned run in seven innings to remain unbeaten in 19 starts against Washington, and the Miami Marlins beat the Nationals 3-1 Tuesday night to break the franchise record for victories in a month.