Tues, January 18, 2012

COACH JEFF FISHER AIDS BRENTWOOD CRASH VICTIMS
Former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher was the first to arrive on the scene of a serious crash late Sunday ... involving two teenagers and stayed with the injured kids until paramedics arrived. The single-vehicle crash involved a 17 year-old driver, who ran off the road, hit a pole and overturned, and his 13 year-old passenger who was apparently not wearing a seat belt, and was thrown from the car, and is in critical condition at The Monroe Carrel Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

TN. HOUSE SPEAKER WANTS BENEFITS RECIPIENTS DRUG TESTED
State Senate speaker Ron Ramsey wants to move ahead with legislation requiring government benefits recipients to be drug tested. Governor Bill Haslam has stopped short of supporting the idea, citing legal uncertainties and costs, as have House Republican leaders. Ramsey says he has no problem with corporate executives who accept millions in taxpayer dollars for incentives to create jobs having to be drug tested, too.

CRUISE SHIP LATEST
Divers will use explosives to blast a hole in the hull of the capsized Costa Concordia Cruise ship today, as they continue their search for survivors and victims. Italian Navy officials say that will give the dive teams a less difficult way to get in and out of the ship that's lying off the Tuscan coast. Six people are confirmed dead and 29 are missing. We’re now told that the captain of the ship (Francesco Schettino) sailed too close to a nearby island in order to show the ship to locals. He says he hit rocks that were not on his chart.

The captain of the crippled cruise ship Costa Concordia makes a court appearance today. The ship was under the control of Francesco Schettino [[ fran-CHESS-ko SKET-in-oh ]] when it ran aground Friday night off of Italy's rocky Tuscan coastline. A transcript of a conversation between the captain and the local coastguard proves he did abandon the ship, leaving hundreds of passengers in peril.

IS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION AT RISK AFTER ONLINE COMPANY HACKED?
More than 24 million Zappos.com customers may have had at least part of their personal information accessed.. in a cyber attack on the online shoe and clothing retailer. The company, which is owned by Amazon.com, says if you’ve done business with them, you should change your password, and monitor your credit card bills for unauthorized charges.

HEALTH: STUDY LINKS NURSES' MISCARRIAGES TO CHEMICALS AT WORK
A new study finds nurses who worked with chemotherapy drugs or sterilizing chemicals were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as their colleagues who didn't handle these materials. It's because chemotherapy drugs typically target rapidly dividing cells, such as those in a tumor -- or a fetus. Two-million women in the U.S. work as nurses. ( Results of the study are published in the "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.")

HOW TO MAKE OURSELVES, AND KIDS, EAT VEGGIES. IT'S SO EASY, WE SHOULD’VE KNOWN.
And you're going to love how easy this is: you know how it's hard to get enough veggies into your diet? A recent study at Penn State University found that preschoolers ate more fruits and vegetables when they got a smaller portion of a main course. The kids also consumed fewer calories overall.

HEALTH: ADD OLIVE OIL TO REDUCE HUNGER
If you're feeling frustrated about not meeting your weight loss goals, here's something quick and easy you can start doing every day. Anytime you're about to use margarine or fat to cook something, use olive oil instead. Researchers say a type of fat in the oil, oleic acid, makes your body release a hunger killing hormone.

BURGER KING TESTING HOME DELIVERY
Burger King, the No. 2 burger chain, has started testing home delivery of its burgers and fries in Washington D.C. If people use the service, BK will expand to the rest of the country.

NASHVILLE RANKS MODERATE IN COMMUTES
A report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows which Central Tennessee communities have the best commutes. Nashville comes in fifth... drivers in Tullahoma have it the easiest. The report gave points for every worker who gets to work from home within a half hour, and subtracted for every one taking longer. Spring Hill rated the worst, 17th, where 30-percent of drivers reported driving over 45 minutes. Find out where YOUR community ranks for best/worst commute. 

TRAILER HAULING HORSES FLIPS ON I-40
A man driving a cattle hauler carrying 38 horses, fell asleep at the wheel last night, and rolled the truck... on I-40 west of Nashville. The surviving horses were taken to a livestock area in Dickson county. The driver will face charges. (Four horses died.)

FDA RESTRICTING ANTIBIOTIC USE IN LIVESTOCK
The FDA is set to begin restricting antibiotic use in livestock and poultry. The agency is banning the use of certain antibiotics in cattle, chicken, turkeys and swine in an effort to prevent people from developing a resistance to the drugs. ( The new ban doesn't apply to "minor species" like ducks and rabbits. The ban takes effect in April.)

SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT FOR DICKSON HIGH CRASH VICTIM
A Dickson high school student who nearly died in a car crash last week is getting support from social media. Judy Johnson was rescued from frigid water after her SUV reportedly hit black ice and flew off a bridge. Friends and family created a "Stay Strong Judy" Facebook page and Twitter hash tag where they are reporting her progress. Doctors say she is expected to make a full recovery after brain surgery last Friday.

TENNESSEE SCHOOLS GETS "C+" REPORT CARD
An annual report by "Education Week" has ranked Tennessee just above the national average with a "C-plus." The report assigns a grade based on data for K-through-12 student achievement, teacher effectiveness, curriculum and academic standards, funding and governance. Maryland scored the highest with a "B-plus."

NEW YORK MAN GETS 44-MILLION-DOLLAR HOSPITAL BILL
A New York man is in stable condition after his serious case of sticker shock: He got a 44-million-dollar hospital bill. The company that handles the billing put the man's invoice number in the space that should have contained the amount due.

BARBIE BANNED IN IRAN
There's a crackdown underway in Iran on shopkeepers who sell Barbie Dolls. Leaders claim the doll is a symbol of decadent western culture.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
BETTY WHITE'S 90TH TODAY. WHO ELSE CELEBRATES?
And if you're celebrating a birthday today, you share it with Actress Betty White... she's 90, Muhammed Ali turns 70 today, James Earl Jones is 81.

BEYONCE BABY SETS RECORD
Beyonce and Jay Z's baby -- Blue Ivy Carter -- has become the youngest ever to have a song on the Billboard Chart. Her crying is featured in daddy Jay-Z's new single, "Glory". (Warning: there are some objectionable lyrics in the tune.)
You can hear her at the end of the song, around 3:15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGFAFvV4dpI  

The medical marijuana industry is paying tribute to Beyonce and Jay-Z's new baby. There's a new medical pot called OG Baby Ivy.

RESEARCHER NAMES AUSTRALIAN HORSEFLY AFTER BEYONCE
How do geeks impress chicks? By naming new bug species after them. An Australian researcher has named a horse fly the species name Beyonce. Bryan Lessard says the insect has a gold-colored backside that he describes as "pretty bootylicious." Beyonce had a hit song with the title "Bootylicious" when she was with the group Destiny's Child. The insect was also captured in 1981, the year Beyonce was born. Lessard hopes Beyonce will take his naming decision as a compliment.

KEITH URBAN'S ALL FOR THE HALL CONCERT DATE RESET
Keith Urban has announced a makeup date for his "We're All for the Hall" concert that'll raise money for the Country Music Hall of Fame, the largest collection of country music history in the world. He had to postpone for vocal cord surgery, but says the new date will be April 10th at Bridgestone, with special guests Vince Gill, Alabama, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum and the Band Perry. Tickets go on sale January 27th (through Ticketmaster or the Bridgestone box office. )

GERVAIS LEADS GOLDEN GLOBES TO ANOTHER RATINGS WIN
It seems Ricky Gervais was able to steer this year's Golden Globes to another set of good ratings. According to "The Hollywood Reporter," early numbers show that 16-point-eight-million people tuned in to watch the British comedian host the ceremony. That's down just a bit from last year's 17-million viewers.

LINDSAY LOHAN IN COURT TODAY (TUES)
Actress Lindsay Lohan has a court date in Los Angeles today. The actress is serving a probation sentence for failing to comply with the terms of her earlier probation for separate DUI and theft cases. The judge will determine if she's been keeping up with her court-ordered obligations of community service.

MAN TATOOS PASSPORT ON BODY
A man in the UK is going to extremes to keep track of his passport. "The Sun" reports that Richard Ashton had the ID card permanently tattooed on his back. Ashton says he once stripped off his shirt at a bank and used the tattoo to take out some money. UK passport officials say the tattoo ID won't work to get him across the border.