By Paul Thomson :: 11:41 AM
A fire and an explosion have been reported on the Queensboro Bridge (also known as the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge or the 59th Street Bridge) in New York City.
Preliminary news reports seem to point to a vehicle fire of some type, and additional eyewitness reports via Twitter and other social media sites claim that the accident involves a large truck, perhaps a tanker truck filled with explosive liquid.
Update: No injuries have been immediately reported, but FDNY sources say the fire is under control, as of 11:57 AM local time. Some electrical and/or communications cables that run along the side of the bridge may have also been damaged in the fire. The upper level of the bridge has been reopened to traffic, at least in one direction. Law enforcement officials have said that there are no signs that this is a terrorist event.
By Leslie Spellman :: 11:41 AM
When the Smithsonian announced earlier today that it had identified a new species of mammal, many people were left scratching their heads. What exactly is this new creature, called the Olinguito?
Turns out this furry guy, shown above, is something of a cross between a traditional house cat and a teddy bear, and belongs to the same family of animals as raccoons.
The Olinguito is the first carnivore to be discovered in the Western Hemisphere in 35 years. Clad in wooly fur, usually orange-brown colored, the creature lives in the high forests of Ecuador and Colombia.
While the Smithsonian’s announcement marks a new name for the creature, it hasn’t gone unnoticed this whole time. The animal has been the subject of identification errors for at least 100 years. It has been regularly spotted in the wild, and has even been introduced into some zoos – just under a wrong name.
Smithsonian curators call the findings,”‘an incredibly rare discovery in the 21st Century.”
“The discovery of the olinguito shows us that the world is not yet completely explored, its most basic secrets not yet revealed,” explained Dr. Kristofer Helgen, the institution’s main mammal curator.
It is a member of the Procyonidae family, and weighs about two pounds. It is most active during evening and night-time hours, rarely comes out of the trees it lives in, and only has one offspring at a time.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 7:12 PM
In a ruling that is sure to make Apple happy, the International Trade Commission (ITC) has ordered a ban on the import and sale of a number of smartphone handsets manufactured by Samsung. The ITC made this decision due to findings that Samsung had infringed on two patents held by Apple.
The two patents that Samsung has run afoul of cover technology dealing with smartphone touchscreens, and I/O circuitry.
It is not clear which exact models of Samsung phones will be affected by the ban, but that information should be released shortly, either by the ITC, or by Samsung itself. It is not likely that the ban affects any of the newer Samsung devices, like the Galaxy S4 or the newer Galaxy Note models.
By Gilbert Falso :: 12:34 PM
Yes, we had to double-check this a few different ways to make sure this wasn’t The Onion, or an episode of “Punked” – but it is true – CBS is developing a new medical drama television show based on The Wizard of Oz.
That noise you hear is most likely L. Frank Baum spinning in his grave.
The network has reportedly signed a deal to develop the series, which will be titled “Dorothy,” and is described by sources as a medical soap-opera based in New York City, with inspiration provided by the characters and themes from The Wizard of Oz.
Emily Fox, the writer from Ghost Whisperer is also the lead writer on this endeavor, and it will be staffed by veteran CBS producers Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman.
No casting information has leaked yet, so we’re not sure who will grab the lead role of Dorothy. Also, no word on the possibility of munchkins. Though if they want any of the original munchkins from the 1939 film, they had better act fast. Margaret Pellegrini, one of the three last surviving munchkins who appeared in the feature film died earlier this week. Only two munchkins remain.
By Paul Thomson :: 10:58 AM
A bomb scare at Paris’ landmark Eiffel Tower has caused an evacuation of the monument, according to French police.
The evacuation order came around 2:00 PM local time in Paris, and the attraction has not yet been reopened to tourists and visitors.
Although the tower is usually the subject of a handful of hoax bomb threats every year, authorities are on heightened alert with this particular threat, because of the recent terrorist “chatter” discovered in the middle-east and Africa.
The tower receives about 7 million visitors every year, with peak summer visits sometimes reaching more than 30,000 people per day.
Update:Â French authorities confirm that the tower was cleared, but has reopened to visitors as of 3:00 PM local time.