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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jun 4, 2013
June 4, 2013
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Culture Shock:
We've come a long since TOM HANKS and MEG RYAN fell in love online in "You've Got Mail" (using AOL, no less).
Today, more than a third of marriages in the U-S start out online, according to a survey of 19-thousand people who married between 2005 and 2012. Of those who hooked up virtually before physically, 45 percent met through dating sites, while others met through chat sites, forums, and social media.
The kicker: those who met online are enjoying happier marriages, and are less likely to split, according to the survey.
The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a well-regarded journal, and you can't deny the study's extensive sample size. Chances are good you probably know someone who met their spouse online.
Editor's note: So, today, more than a third of marriages began online. But what they don't tell ya is, that's where more than two-thirds of adultery and divorce begin, too. (Maiman)London tabloids:
Get ready to hear the squeal of one-billion teenage girls as we have another adorable story from HARRY STYLES of ONE DIRECTION. PerezHilton.com reports the hearthrob attended the wedding of his mom, ANNE COX, last weekend in Cheshire, England, wore his finest suit for the occasion and even walked the bride down the aisle. Harry was chosen to be best man for his new stepdad, ROBIN TWIST, who he's known since the tender age of seven. (Lee)
Chic Sh*t:
While we're on the subject, British boy band ONE DIRECTION is coming out with its own nail polish. Now here's the weird part... they're partnering with Office Depot to do it. No, it's not nail polish made of White-Out. The "1-D Plus O-D" nail polish is actually part of a whole line of back-to school supplies plastered with HARRY, LOUIS, NIALL, ZAYN and LIAM's faces. The Hollywood Reporter says it's all being sold to benefit an anti-bullying campaign. (Bartha)
The Supremes:
On a 5-to-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court says police can routinely take DNA samples from people they arrest. That decision now firmly establishes a quick DNA "swab" as part of the regular booking process.
--Writing for the majorty, Justice ANTHONY KENNEDY said, "Taking and analyzing a cheek swab of the arrestee DNA is, like fingerprinting and photographing, a legitimate police booking procedure that is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment."
--In a stern dissent, conservative Justice ANTONIN SCALIA wrote, "Make no mistake about it: because of today's decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason."
The ruling involved a Maryland case where a man was convicted of rape based on a DNA sample taken during an arrest on an unrelated assault charge.
At least 28 states and the federal government now take DNA swabs after arrests. All 50 states and the federal government take cheek swabs from convicted criminals to check against state and federal databanks. (Pacelli)Chocolate, Caffeine, Alcohol:
If you've ever tried to quit drinking caffeine, you may have experienced some side effects like fatigue, headache and difficulty focusing. There are several more possible side effects, and anyone who experiences at least five of them officially suffers from a mental condition known as caffeine intoxication.
The American Psychiatric Association has classified caffeine withdrawal as a mental disorder in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Health experts say if you drink more than two to three cups of coffee each day, coming down off the caffeine could create enough side effects to cause you to suffer a mental disorder. While caffeine is a mild stimulant, it's a stimulant nonetheless, and many people can't start their day without it.
FYI: To meet the criteria of a caffeine intoxication, a person must show five or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, diuresis, gastrointestinal disturbance, twitching, rambling thought or speech, tachycardia, arrhythmia, periods of inexhaustibility, fatigue, headache, difficulty focusing or psychomotor agitation. (Page) -
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