The WNAX Report
The stories and issues you should know about to get you through the day!
Opinions attributed to Steve Crawford
Broadcasting live with Ustream
This is what we do all day....this is LIVE from the WNAX main studio!
Headlines
Foreclosure filings in the U.S. fell to their lowest level in five years last month. RealtyTrac says the number of default, auction and seizure notices sent out in April totaled nearly 189-thousand. That figure is the lowest since July 2007.
A new poll shows Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker leading Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, 50- to 45-percent, ahead of the state's upcoming June 5th recall election. Walker says he isn't surprised by the poll numbers as he is doing exactly what he promised to do when he was first elected two years ago, which is balance the budget, create jobs and lower taxes.
John Edwards' defense rested without calling him or his mistress to the stand, which was read as a sign of their confidence he'll be found innocent.
Facebook IPO is expected to be the largest stock offering in history when it debuts tomorrow (Friday). Which positions it to be the largest stock bust in history a few months from now.
Children's health is linked to the income and education levels of their parents, according to a new federal report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual report card on the nation's health shows the children of adults who are poor or didn't finish college are more likely to be inactive, obese, have ADHD or miss regular dental checkups. The CDC's report is titled "Health, United States, 2011."
Olympic officials say they plan to use high-pitched and painful sounds to disperse large crowds at the London Games this summer. So I guess the Spice Girls reunion is on. Either that or a Sarah Palin speech.
For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S.
Some Arabs are protesting that Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy, The Dictator, makes them look bad. Also making them look bad: having dictators.
Contrary to popular belief, many healthful foods are no more expensive than junk food, according to a large new government analysis. In fact, carrots, onions, pinto beans, lettuce, mashed potatoes, bananas and orange juice are all less expensive per portion than soft drinks, ice cream, chocolate candy, french fries, sweet rolls and deep-fat-fried chicken patties, the report said.
Travel advisory: A group of clowns plans on taking part in protests in Chicago during this weekend’s NATO Summit and throw pies.
Kentucky Derby winner "I'll Have Another" will break from the ninth gate in the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. "I'll Have Another" enters the Preakness looking to take a step closer to becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1978. The horse was installed as a 5-to-2 shot.
State-Regional Headlines
The 72nd Orange City, Iowa Tulip Festival is underway. Activities run through Sunday.
One in eight Iowa State University students have no idea they owe money on their student loans. That report released yesterday by the ISU faculty and staff also found nearly 80-percent of all students carried some type of debt. The report concluded that 40-percent of students underestimated their total debt, with a quarter of those off by more than ten-thousand dollars. ISU officials intend, for the first time, to send emails out this summer detailing exactly just how much each student owes.
One of Iowa's largest employers is rolling in cash, as John Deere's net income hit one-point-zero-five billion dollars in the second quarter. It's the best quarter ever for the Quad Cities based farm equipment maker. Sales were over ten-billion dollars.
Services are set for Saturday to remember late South Dakota Senator Jim Abdnor. The funeral will be at Memorial Lutheran Church at 11:30 a.m. with burial services to follow at Kennebec Cemetery. Senator John Thune will deliver his eulogy. Abdnor died yesterday at the age of 89.
New poll figures show a majority of North Dakota residents favor getting rid of the Fighting Sioux nickname. The poll conducted by the "Grand Forks Herald" shows 56-percent of likely voters will cast ballots in favor of Measure 4. The June 12th election measure would allow UND to get rid of the controversial name. The NCAA has ordered the school to retire it.
Bob Kerrey pledged Wednesday he won't be a hard-line Democrat if Nebraska voters return him to the U.S. Senate in November. Kicking off a two-day tour after his Tuesday primary election win, Kerrey said he looks forward to a positive campaign with Republican challenger Deb Fischer, who won Tuesday's GOP primary.
Other Stuff
Yet another study has been conducted on the perils and/or health benefits of drinking coffee. With each study that has come out over the years, the stuff is either good for you or it's going to kill you. This one, reported in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, says it's actually good for you and lowers mortality. Stay tuned.
Researchers say that fat starts to reach a person's waistline within three hours of eating a meal.
Washington University in St. Louis is seeking volunteers for an obesity study who are willing to gain weight by eating nothing but food from McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut.
According to a new survey, the #1 way to get fired at work is to "Embarrass, insult or argue relentlessly with your manager."
A new study says that smart dogs yawn if they see their owners yawning.
A Stanford study suggests that sleepwalking is epidemic, and as many as one-third of Americans may be sleepwalkers.
A study in the latest issue of Pediatrics magazine says that baby pacifiers and bottles are the leading cause of injuries to infants. (Every 4 minutes an infant goes to the emergency room.)
California discovered the commercial potential of raisins quite by accident. In 1873, a freak hot spell withered the grapes on the vine. One enterprising San Francisco grocer advertised these shriveled grapes as "Peruvian Delicacies" and the rest is history. California is now the world's leading producer of raisins.
The Hard to Believe
New Jersey Tanning Mom Patricia Krentcil said she would pose for Playboy if they ask. If that doesn't happen she'll accept the offer from Rawlings to model as a catcher's mitt.
Officials in Guam are trying to fight an infestation of brown tree snakes by parachuting in mice laced with Tylenol, which is poisonous to the snakes. (This was the fallback plan after the snakes refused to knock over the dominoes that would trip the switch that would set off the fan that would blow the balloon that held the candle over to where it would burn through the rope and drop the anvil on the snakes.)
Cops in Orem, Utah aren't yet naming the 18-year-old who failed at burglary in a miserable way and landed his first felony. A homeowner found the kid in his house and the perp punched him in the face and fled. He left behind his backpack, which contained his homework, which contained his name. Police found him at home snoozing on the family couch and surrounded by stuff from the victim's home.
It looks like Jacksonville, Florida's Yolanda Lenette Stills, 43, won't be walking down the aisle as planned. Cops say she just stabbed her fiancé to death during an argument over cigarettes.
Police in Beaumont, Texas, arrested a 22-year-old woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death because he only gave her flowers and a card for Mother's Day instead of jewelry.
Today in History
In 1620, people saw the very first merry go 'round in Turkey.
In 1875 The first Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The winner was "Aristides", who covered the 1 1/4 mile track in 2.5 minutes and won $2,800.
In 1792 The New York Stock Exchange began. 24 New York brokers met at the present site of 68 Wall Street, under a buttonwood tree, and signed an agreement to fix uniform rates of commission for the sale of stocks and bonds.
In 1845 The rubber band was patented.
In 1846 The saxophone was patented by Antoine Joseph Sax.
In 1876 General Custer and his men left Fort Lincoln for the Little Big Horn.
In 1885, the first large pieces of the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor... along with a large note written in French that said, "Some assembly required."
In 1971 Washington was the first state to ban sex discrimination.
In 1973 Senate Watergate hearings began.
In 1980 VS Kumar Anandan set a record of balancing on 1 foot for 33 hrs. (Presumably it was his own foot.)
In 1992, Bandleader Lawrence Welk died of pneumonia at age 89.
Birthdays
Craig Ferguson : 50 (Nigel Wick on "The Drew Carey Show," host of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson")
Enya Brennan : 51 (Singer; her album "A Day Without Rain" sold 15 million copies; she was named the world's best selling female artist of 2001; "Orinoco Flow" in 1988)
Bob Saget : 56 (Danny Tanner on "Full House;" original host of "America's Funniest Home Videos")
"Sugar" Ray Leonard : 56 (Retired boxer; Olympic Gold Medal winner in 1976; contestant Season 12 of "Dancing With the Stars")
- Dennis Hopper : (1936) (Shooter in Hoosiers; Howard Payne in Speed)
Survey
When it comes to news personalities, our favorites are Diane Sawyer, Anderson Cooper and Brian Williams. And the three we like the least are Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Nancy Grace. That's the word from the Harris Poll, which set oout to find which of 26 current affairs personalities are the most popular.
The top 8 most liked news personalities:
Diane Sawyer: 23%
Anderson Cooper and Brian Williams: 19% (tie)
Bill O'Reilly and Barbara Walters: 15% (tie)
George Stephanopoulos: 14%
Matt Lauer and Katie Couric: 13% (tie)
The top 8 most disliked news personalities:
Rush Limbaugh: 46%
Bill O'Reilly: 31%
Nancy Grace: 23%
Sean Hannity: 14%
Katie Couric, Piers Morgan, Barbara Walters and Chris Matthews: 10% (tie)
