Oscar Winner Sleeping in NY Museum

It’s nap time for Tilda Swinton.

The Academy Award-winning actress and recent Davide Bowie music video star is performing art on an unexpected display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The display is called “The Maybe” and involves Swinton sleeping in a glass box in front of museum attendees.

RELATED: David Bowie: New Music a Decade Later

MoMA said in a statement, “An integral part of The Maybe’s incarnation at MoMA in 2013 is that there is no published schedule for its appearance, no artist’s statement released, no museum statement beyond this brief context, no public profile or image issued. Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real-shared-time: now we see it, now we don’t.”

The display includes cushions and a water jug for Swinton and if you don’t happen to catch her asleep, you can see the live art here.

JB Nicholas/Splash News

Kate Upton Delivers Bad News to Teen

                                        (Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

It was a nice try, but it’s looking like a no-go for the teen who asked supermodel Kate Upton to be his prom date.

Los Angeles high school senior Jake Davidson, 17, asked the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model to be his prom date via a YouTube video. In the clip, titled “Kate Upton, Will You Go to Prom with Me?” Davidson explains why Upton should be his date, including that they have a lot in common.  For example, Upton poses in Sports Illustrated and Davidson reads it.

There was a glimmer of hope last week, when 20-year-old Upton tweeted Davidson, “How could I turn down that video! I’ll check my schedule ;)”  That hope has dimmed, however, with Upton now telling People magazine that it appears her dance card is too full to be Davidson’s prom date.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to go with him or not, due to my schedule,” Upton said.  “I want to, but I just don’t know if I can make it work. But I really appreciated being asked; it made me feel really great!”

If you’re going to let someone down gently, Upton certainly knows how, calling the video “so flattering.”

“When a guy has a good sense of humor and confidence, that’s attractive,” she said.

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Child Survives Crash, Hikes to Get Help

A 9-year-old California girl survived a car crash early this morning and scaled a cliff in darkness to get help for her father, who did not survive the wreck.

Authorities said Alejandro Renteria, 35, was driving down the Sierra Highway near Acton, Calif., around 1 a.m., when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, which rolled 200 feet down a canyon and landed at the bottom of a ravine.

His daughter, who was not named in the accident report, climbed out of the vehicle and hiked through difficult terrain in order to get to a nearby home, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol.

When no one answered the door at the home, the girl returned to check on her father before she “hiked up a steep embankment in a very dark and threatening environment” to get help, authorities said.

A passing motorist spotted the child and alerted authorities to the scene, where Renteria was pronounced dead.

Authorities suspect alcohol played a role in the crash and said the girl told them she and her father had been returning home from a party.

The child was taken to the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, ABC News station KGO-TV reported, where she was treated for minor bruises and a cut to her cheek and was said to be in good condition.

(Image Credit: ABC News)

Police: Pa. Man Kills Son, Wounds Wife; Kills Self

PETERSBURG, Pa. March 24, 2013 (AP)

A central Pennsylvania father shot and killed his 2-year-old son and wounded his estranged wife during a custody exchange before killing himself, authorities said.

Police said Kenneth Ayers also shot at his mother during the altercation Saturday morning at her home in a rural area about 20 miles southwest of State College.

Huntingdon County District Attorney George Zanic said Ayers, 52, was subject to a protection from abuse order filed by his wife but was permitted visits with his son, Michael.

Saturday's visit was to happen at his mother's home in Barree Township. But once at the home, Ayers got into an altercation with his estranged wife, Hollie Jo, and shot her in the legs and arm with a .40 caliber handgun before intentionally shooting his son, police said.

Kenneth Ayers placed the child's body in the back of his vehicle but the wounded woman retrieved the body before Ayers shot her again in the face, police said. He also fired at his mother but missed.

"Words can't describe the scene ... heartbreaking," Zanic told The (Altoona) Mirror outside the home.

Kenneth Ayers' body was found several hours later in his parked truck in a wooded area in Warriors Mark Township. Investigators said he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Hollie Jo Ayers was transported to a hospital and expected to survive, according to police.

State police Cpl. Daniel Sneath said investigators are trying to determine what led to the shooting and why Ayers was carrying a gun despite the protection order.

Police will also seek an autopsy to determine whether Kenneth Ayers was under the influence drugs or alcohol.

The 50 Most Popular WOMEN on the Web (and "Justin Bieber" is #7)

Which women are searched most often on Google?

COED Magazine has compiled a list based on Google search results that is flying around the Internet, sporting some surprises -- Justin Bieber comes in at No. 7 -- and some givens -- Lady Gaga tops the list at No. 1.

SEE PHOTOS: Celebrity Beach Bods

Here are the top 10:

1. Lady Gaga

2. Kesha

3. Madonna

4. Beyonce

5. Rihanna

6. Britney Spears

7. Justin Bieber

8. Miley Cyrus

9. Paris Hilton

10. Avril Lavigne

Washington's famous women made a showing as well: former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is No. 18, first lady Michelle Obama No. 21 and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton No. 32.

Poor Justin Bieber. This is the second time in a week that the teen heartthrob and perpetual trending topic on Twitter has sent the Internet into a tizzy. He has also been accused of not knowing the meaning of the word "German."

An interview on a New Zealand TV show has been making the rounds on the web, showing Bieber floundering when the host asked him if "Bieber" means "basketball" in German. He at first acted perplexed and finally said, "We don't use that word in America."

SEE PHOTOS: Top Racy Celebrity Advertisement Campaigns

It seems likely that the host's thick Kiwi accent was the culprit here, because Bieber does appear to be familiar with German in this Bravo interview.

Back to the web's favorite women. Who was left off that you think should have made it? Who were the biggest surprises? Here is the full list:

50. Eva Longoria

49. Scarlett Johansson

48. Carmen Electra

47. Tina Fey

46. Adriana Lima

45. Lily Allen

44. Sarah Jessica Parker

43. Kelly Clarkson

42. Carrie Underwood

41. Amy Winehouse

40. Vanessa Hudgens

39. Katie Price

38. Ashley Tisdale

37. Hilary Duff

36. Marilyn Monroe

35. Heidi Montag

34. Demi Moore

33. Jennifer Aniston

32. Hillary Clinton

31. Ciara

30. Kristen Stewart

29. Betty White

28. Pamela Anderson

27. Fergie

26. Jessica Alba

25. Christina Aguilera

24. Sandra Bullock

23. Kim Kardashian

22. Katy Perry

21. Michelle Obama

20. Lindsay Lohan

19. Jessica Simpson

18. Sarah Palin

17. Mariah Carey

16. Jennifer Lopez

15. Megan Fox

14. Oprah

13. Angelina Jolie

12. Taylor Swift

11. Shakira

10. Avril Lavigne

9. Paris Hilton

8. Miley Cyrus

7. Justin Bieber

6. Britney Spears

5. Rihanna

4. Beyonce

3. Madonna

2. Kesha

1. Lady GaGa

Sandusky's Denial-Laden Interview

In his first jailhouse interview since he was convicted on 45 counts of sexually abusing children, former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky insisted that the testimony of key witness Mike McQueary was inaccurate.

Sandusky made the comments as part of a three-hour interview with documentary filmmaker John Zieglar, who is making a film to try and clear the name of Penn State's former head football coach, Joe Paterno, who was implicated in the Sandusky scandal.

In an interview on NBC's "The Today Show" this morning, Ziegler played a recording of the interviews he conducted with Sandusky behind bars in Pennsylvania.

Sandusky questioned the tesitmony of McQueary, the former Penn State assistant coach who testified he saw Sandusky standing "extremely" close to a young boy in the football locker room showers, heard "rhythmic slapping sounds" and believed he was witnessing sexual behavior.

"I don't understand how anybody would have walked into that locker room, from where he was, and heard sounds associated that was sex going on," Sandusky said in the taped interview.

"I mean that would have been the last thing I would have thought about. I would have thought maybe fooling around or something like that," he said, laughing.

Ziegler explained that the question of what McQueary actually saw in the locker room shower is central to clearing the name of Paterno.

According to the grand jury indicment of Sandusky and an independent investigation into the scandal by former FBI director Louis Freeh, McQueary went to Paterno the morning after the shower incident and told the head coach what he had seen. In subsequent conversations between Paterno, then-athletic director Tim Curley, and then-vice president Gary Schultz, the men decided not to report Sandusky to the police.

Ziegler is using his documentary, along with a website called "The Framing of Joe Paterno," to try and prove that McQueary never told Paterno that he witnessed child rape and that Paterno did not willfully ignore the accusation to protect his football program, as the Freeh report charges.

In the interview he conducted with Sandusky, Zieglar asked whether Paterno would have allowed Sandusky to continue coaching at Penn State if he had suspected Sandusky of pedophilia.

"If he absolutely thought I was (a pedophile) I'd say no," Sandusky said. "If he had a suspicion, I don't know the answer to that."

The Paterno family condemned the documentary and the jailhouse interview, calling it "misguided and inappropriate."

Wounded Iraq Vet Prepares to Die

Tomas Young is "ready to go" as he puts it. After nine years of suffering and with his body quickly deteriorating he has decided to end his struggle.

Young, 33, was paralyzed from the chest down by a sniper's bullet in a battle in Sadr City, Iraq on April 4, 2004, less than a week after he got to the country. He had joined the Army just two days after September 11, 2001 and assumed he would be sent to Afghanistan. Now nine years after that battle he is choosing to end his suffering. He is in hospice care and getting ready to die.

"I just decided that I was tired of seeing my body deteriorate and I want to go before it's too late," Young said in phone interview with ABC News from his home in Kansas City, Mo. "I've been doing this for the past nine years now…and I finally felt helpless every day and a burden to the people who take care of me and that's why I want to go."

Young and his wife Claudia Cuellar are receiving guests for a few more weeks. During that time, Young will say goodbye to friends and family and then will stop receiving medications, nourishment and water. They don't know how long it could be after that time he will die, but they believe it will be one to three weeks, but it could be as long as six weeks.

They don't consider it suicide, just an end to his suffering.

"I'm not the boy who would always think suicide if maybe something goes wrong," Young said. "I put lots of time into this. I considered the facts that people I know who love me and would prefer that I stick around, and my only hope is that they realize that they're being selfish in wanting me to just stick around and endure the pain."

Young and Cuellar have decided to go public with their story. First, in an article in theKansas City Star because they want to change the perception on death and dying in this country as well as continue to shine a light on the anti-Iraq war activism Young has been focused on since becoming paralyzed. He was the subject of a 2007 documentary "> produced by Phil Donahue. It showed Young dealing with the excruciating physical effects of his injury including post-traumatic stress, as well as his work against the Iraq war.

Cuellar says since the first story was written about his choice to die last week they have received mixed reactions of people supporting Young's decision as well as people urging him to "hang on" or "fight a little more." She says it's because people can't fathom his daily pain.

In 2008, he suffered a pulmonary embolism and anoxic brain injury which he believes was because he was taken off of blood thinners. It affected his speech as well as impaired the use of his arms. Cuellar and Young met when she saw the documentary and she began visiting him when he was in rehabilitation in Chicago after the embolism. They married last April.

"He was a para[plegic] and he was independent and functioning independently so he rolled the ball up the mountain to learn how to be a paraplegic and then four years later...he has the embolism he gets rolled back all the way down the mountain and he now has to live like a partial quadriplegic," Cuellar said.

Skydive Teacher, Student Killed in Jump

Police are investigating how an experienced sky diving instructor and his student fell more than 13,000 feet to their deaths and did not deploy their main parachutes at a popular southwest Florida camp.

Pasco County sheriff’s authorities identified the victims as 41-year-old instructor Orvar Arnarson and 25-year-old student Andrimar Pordarson. The men were part of a group from Iceland, training and vacationing at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, Fla., on Saturday.

T.K. Hayes, general manager and president of Skydive City, said it appears Arnarson and Pordarson didn’t activate their main parachutes.

“There’s a multitude of scenarios. They lost track of altitude, weren’t paying attention for whatever reason if they were distracted, most likely by something else going on. Who knows,” Hayes said Sunday.

Both men had backup automatic activation devices, which deploy if the main parachutes are not opened in time. The backup chutes, the company says, did not fully inflate before they hit the ground.

The two men had successfully completed two other jumps Saturday morning with 20 other people. The men jumped separately, not in tandem. When Arnarson and Pordarson did not return from their third jump, Pasco County sheriff’s department launched a search to look for the two skydivers.

Following a nine-hour search, the pair was finally located in a wooded area near Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, about a mile away from where they were supposed to land.

Authorities hope a camera worn by one of the men may give them some clues into what happened during the jump.

“We’re reviewing the tape. We’re reviewing anything that may have been said, on the camera,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said.

Last year across the U.S., 19 skydivers died out of 3.1 million jumps, according to the United States Parachute Association.

Arnarson was a seasoned veteran of the dare-devilish sport, who reportedly had thousands of successful jumps under his belt. For Pordarson, this was his eighth jump.

ABC News

Jesse James Marries for 4th Time

Mike Windle/WireImage/Getty Images

It appears Sandra Bullock‘s ex Jesse James has tied the knot for a fourth time.

People magazine reported that James, 43, married professional drag racer Alexis DeJoria, 43, on Sunday in Malibu, Calif.

According to the magazine, James’s youngest daughter, Sunny, 9, and DeJoria’s daughter Bella, 10, acted as flower girls.

Engaged late last year, the couple exchanged vows at the Malibu home of DeJoria’s father, John Paul DeJoria, the billionaire businessman behind the Paul Mitchell hair care products line.

Read More on Jesse’s Girls

Though James has not confirmed his new marital status, he did post a picture Sunday of himself walking hand in hand with DeJoria, along with the quote, “Happiness is only real when shared – Jon Krakauer.”

Instagram/popeofwelding

The pair live in Austin, Texas, where James recently opened a West Coast Choppers custom motorcycle shop after closing the original in California.

This is the fourth “I do” for James, who got divorced from Sandra Bullock in June, 2010, amid reports of his infidelity. His second marriage was to tattooed porn star Janine Lindemulder, mother of Sunny. His first wife, Karla James, whom he met before he became a popular television personality, is the mother of his two sons.

James broke off his engagement to tattoo artist Kat Von D in September 2011.

Knox Holds Breath Awaiting Ruling

Lawyers for Amanda Knox told Italy's Supreme Court that prosecutors who argued today that she should be retried for the murder of her roommate "started with an error and ... continues to insist in the errors."

Knox's lawyer got the last word as a team of lawyers for the prosecution and the family of the slain roommate, Meredith Kercher, told the country's top court that an appeals ruling that freed Knox from prison in 2011 had made a mistake. They want her to face a new trial and be sent back to prison.

Knox, who remained home in Seattle during today's hearing, was released from an Italy's Capanne prison in 2011 after the appeals court threw out her conviction and scolded the prosecution's handling of evidence and the case. Also released at the time was her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito who had been convicted along with her.

The court said it would deliver its ruling Tuesday morning.

Knox, 25, was "anxious" about today's hearing.

The court could reject the prosecution's appeal and end her six year ordeal. But if the Supreme Court rules that Knox should not have been exonerated, a new trial would be ordered. Knox would not be required to return to Italy for the proceedings.

If that lower court trial convicted her again, the verdict would again be appealed, a process that would take years. Only if the Supreme Court upholds the guilty verdict could extradition proceedings begin to return Knox to Italy, although experts do not believe such an effort would be successful.

"'This trial started with an error and the prosecution continues to insist in the errors even in an attempt to convince the Supreme Court that the recourse should be accepted," Knox's lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova argued.

Dalla Vedova reminded the court that today's hearing should only consider whether Italian legal code was applied directly, noting it was not a re-trial of evidence and witnesses.

After the hearing, Dalla Vedova told ABC News, "The prosecutor spoke about the merits of the case as opposed to the procedural faults."

Knox lawyers also asked that her slander conviction be overturned. She was convicted of slander for falsely accusing her former boss, Patrick Lumumba, as Kercher's killer.

Knox claims that she told police she had a "vision" of Lumumba during a marathon interrogation by police who insisted she had plans to meet Lumumba that night because they found a message on her cellphone telling Lumumba in Italian, "See you later."

During her 2009 trial testimony, Knox said that during her grilling she was hit in the head, threatened and confused.

Dalla Vedova reminded the Supreme Court they had previously ruled Knox's "confession" inadmissible because Knox was never informed she was suspect.

Knox spent nearly four years in prison and three of those years were considered to have satisfied her penalty for slander. If her conviction is overturned, she could seek compensation for false imprisonment. The maximum she could win is 520,000 euro, or nearly $750,000.

Sollecito's lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno, also came to Knox's defense today.

Bongiorno reminded the court that Knox was not allowed a lawyer during her interrogations, but was allowed a translator, or what she referred to as a "medium" who would "induce [Knox] to remember things." Knox testified in 2009 that the translator encouraged her "to try to remember."

Bongiorno added in court today, "There was a lot that was strange that night -- dreams, visions. But she said the strangest was instead of calling a defense lawyer, 'they called a medium.'

The day's hearing began with prosecutors arguing that the appeals court judges who set Knox free had "lost their direction." They argued that "some elements were not taken into account," insinuating that the appeal decision to acquit was wrong because not all evidence was considered.

Prosecutors argued that the independent review of key DNA during the appeal ? which blasted the prosecution's case and proved a turning point for Knox -- "was used like a final word" and covered up all other evidence.

Each party was permitted 20 minutes to speak, but the prosecutor went on for an hour. After 35 minutes, the judge chided him and asked him to "hurry up."

The prosecutor's arguments were supported by a lawyer representing the Kercher family and a lawyer for Patrick Lumumba, Knox's former boss who has sued her for defamation. They all argued that Knox and Sollecito were wrongfully set free and should be tried again for murder.

Prosecutors and Kercher's family want to see Knox and Sollecito back in prison.

"We feel that Amanda and Raffaele are guilty and were in the room with Rudy Guede," Francesco Maresca, lawyer for the Kercher family, said as he entered the Corte di Cassazione, Italy's supreme court, in Rome today.

Guede, an Ivory Coast drifter, has also been convicted in the 2007 murder and is serving a 16 year prison term.

The Amanda Knox Story

Knox, a student at the University of Washington, was attentive to today's hearing. Luciano Ghirga, a member of Knox's legal team, said he heard from his client on Sunday.

"She is anxious. She is following the process very closely," Ghirga said.

When asked if she would return to Italy, Ghirga said only, "She can come back anytime she wishes."

FULL COVERAGE: The Amanda Knox Trial

The Amanda Knox case captivated audiences in Italy, Britain and the U.S. She spent four years in a prison outside Perugia and was sentenced to 26 years following her initial conviction. But in 2011 and appeals court threw out the conviction and harshly criticized the prosecution's handling of evidence.

Knox was Kercher's roommate in Perugia when Kercher's throat was slashed and she was sexually assaulted. Prosecutors claimed that Knox, Sollecito and Guede killed her in a sex game gone bad. They claimed to have found Sollecito's DNA on Kercher's bra clasp cut off the bra and a speck of DNA from Kercher and Knox on a knife in Sollecito's kitchen.

Cancer Patient in Aetna Fight Dies

Arijit Guha, an Arizona State University graduate student who successfully tussled with health insurance giant Aetna over his medical bills last year, has died at 32, according to a close friend.

His wife, Heather Ehlers, created Facebook in tribute to this life, remembering him as a "rabble rouser, do-gooder, mustache enthusiast."

"His life was one of love, optimism, joy, humor, and compassion, and this page is to celebrate that life," she wrote.

Guha returned from a trip to India last year with a stomach ache and only one month later learned he had stage-4 colon cancer. Aetna agreed to full coverage for his treatment, but the aggressive cancer returned in the fall.

"He ran out of treatment options," the close friend said. "He'd been in hospice care for many months."

Guha died at home, Ehlers said.

"My heart is aching, but the pain is eased a bit knowing that he has the support of such an amazing community of people, so many of whom have never met him," she said on the tribute page today."

After getting his tough diagnosis, Guha faced hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

He had a policy under the university's health plan for which he paid $400 a month out of pocket, but its carrier, Aetna, had an annual ceiling on payouts. After surgery and chemotherapy, he had exhausted the lifetime $300,000 limit.

[The Affordable Health Care Act has since eliminated lifetime limits, but then, it did not include student health plans.]

Outraged, Guha turned to Twitter and other social media to make his case.

But in August, Aetna CEO Mark T. Bertolini, a former paramedic who has had his own share of medical crises, tweeted directly with Guha and agreed to pay "every last penny" of his bills.

"The system is broken, and I am committed to fixing it," Bertolini said on his Twitter account. "I am glad we connected today and got this issue solved. I appreciate the dialogue no matter how pointed. I've got it and own it!"

It turns out Bertolini and Guha had much in common.

In 2001, Bertolini's son, Eric, then 16, was diagnosed with a rare and deadly lymphoma, according to a profile in the Hartford Courant. And in 2004, when he was president of Cigna, Bertolini was disabled after being nearly killed in a ski accident. He also eventually donated a kidney to help save his son.

Bertolini admitted that the health care system was "broke" and tweeted, "There is a lot to do to make it right."

Meanwhile, Guha had raised $120,000 through T-shirt sales in his edgy campaign "Poop Strong," which riffed on cancer survivor Lance Armstrong's "Live Strong." And when Aetna stepped in, Guha said he would donate all of it to three cancer charities in Arizona.

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cancer killer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2008, the last year for which there are statistics, 142,950 Americans were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 52,857 Americans died from the disease.

Surprisingly, colorectal cancer is not that uncommon among younger people like Guha, especially those who have a family history of early-onset disease.

"It's not shocking at all," said Dr. Joel Levine, founding director of the Colon Cancer Prevention Program at the University of Connecticut.

Symptoms can include rectal bleeding or anemia, abdominal pain or occult blood in the stool.

Such was the case with Guha, who was diagnosed in February 2011. He had settled in Phoenix with his wife and was getting a doctorate in environmental sustainability. The couple returned from a trip to India to visit his relatives and Guha developed abdominal pain.

Kate Middleton Look-Alike Recreates Pregnancy 'to Be Authentic'

Heidi Agan makes her living as a Kate Middleton impersonator, so as Middleton’s belly grows during pregnancy, so must Agan’s.

Agan, of Northamptonshire, England, reportedly bought a number of belly prosthetics to recreate the look of a pregnant Duchess of Cambridge.

According to the BBC, the Middleton look-alike said she bought a “bump in various sizes.”

PHOTOS: Kate Middleton Look-Alike Heidi Agan Turns Heads

Explaining her decision, she said: “As Kate grows I will, too — to be authentic I thought it was important.”

Agan, 32, has two children. She made headlines last year when she quit her waitressing job to be a full-time Middleton impersonator, commanding more than $1,000 per appearance.

RELATED: Kate Middleton Look-Alike Heidi Agan Turns Heads in England

In her efforts to be as authentic as she can, Agan has appeared in clothing Middleton has popularized, including the blue Issa dress Middleton wore when she and Prince William announced their engagement in 2010 and a replica of the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen dress Middleton wore on her wedding day in April 2011.

Middleton, 31, is married to Britain’s Prince William. She is carrying their first child.

PHOTOS: Kate Middleton’s Fashion Style

Their baby, whose gender has not been revealed to the public, is due to be born in July.

Why Men Don't Teach Elementary School

When Philip Wiederspan began teaching first-grade at age 25, he was the only male, except for the gym teacher. His former New Jersey college friends would look at him in shock when they learned his profession: "How can you do that? You must have a lot of patience."

"It requires a lot of patience," he said. "They are babies when they come in, just out of kindergarten, and by the end of the year, they are independent and can work on something by themselves for 10 minutes. Then they come back in September and, my God, they're babies, again."

Today, at 51, Wiederspan has devoted more than half his life to the youngest students at Upper Freehold Regional Elementary School in Allentown, N.J.

"Word got out my first year of teaching," he said. "Parents would call the office to come and visit my classroom to see if they wanted their kids in my class. I remember that distinctly … they just wanted to see."

As a man, Wiederspan is a rarity in U.S. elementary-school education. And experts say that as boys continue to lag behind girls academically, schools could use more male teachers.

(Full disclosure: This reporter's son, now 31, was a student in Wiederspan's first-grade classroom and thrived having a male role model, later going into teaching himself.)

"I am definitely not a mommy figure," said Wiederspan, who, after 17 years, moved up to third-grade. "Boys are a challenge. I try to draw them out. I use humor a lot and sometimes, when a kid is really shy, it's going to take a while for them to warm up."

"I relate to this age group," he said. "I am a big kid."

For the past 20 years, the numbers of male teachers in elementary and middle school grades have stagnated at about 16 to 18 percent, according to MenTeach, an organization whose mission is to increase the number of males working with young children.

There were no statistics for grades K-3, but in 2011, the most recent year for which there are data, only slightly more than 2 percent of kindergarten and preschool teachers were male.

"The gap and discrepancy between girls' performance and boys' performance is growing ever more marked," said Massachusetts psychologist Michael Thompson, co-author of the groundbreaking 2000 book "Raising Cain," which argues that society shortchanges boys.

"There are lots of explanations for it," he said. "One is the nature of the elementary classroom. It's more feminized and it does turn boys off, perhaps because they are in trouble more or because the teaching style is more geared to girls' brains.

"You go to an elementary school and there isn't a man in sight except the custodian, and the kids love him," Thompson said.

The odd man who teaches is well liked, but often treated like the "school mascot."

"Having male teachers, boys have a model that it's OK to be male and be in the classroom," he said. "School isn't just a female enterprise. That's what the presence of a man says to kids."

Pete Ellenzweig, 58, has spent more than three decades in K-4 classrooms in a suburban school district outside Portland, Ore.

"I have never felt as if I were under any particular type of scrutiny, not even once," he said. "I think a parent asked me in 1990 or '91, 'Isn't that an unusual career choice?' I replied, 'I don't think so. It's been amazing.'"

There are two male kindergarten teachers and five out of 17 in his building who teach in other grades are men. He said his school district began recruiting males "years ago."

While Ellenzweig said he believes men make great teachers, a student's gender "just doesn't enter my world view."

"I do everything possible to treat people equitably," he said. "And that means having the same types of behavior expectations in the classroom and the same long-term belief in the capability of each kid. …I think there are gender differences in terms of maturity, but it doesn't affect my day-to-day work with children."

Teacher Wiederspan admits that his class of 24 students -- mostly 8-year-olds -- is "a handful," especially the boys.

"They have a lot of energy and they don't always know how to properly release it," he said. "Something physical happens. They trip over someone, then it escalates. It was an accident, but then it becomes, 'He did this and he did that.'"

Girls can sit still more easily and are more efficient at processing language. Many female teachers have a "pretty low tolerance" for boys, who are more active and like competition, according to psychologist Thompson.

Moms Serve Up Solid Food Too Soon

Many mothers in the U.S. start infants on solid foods -- including peanut butter, meat, and french fries -- earlier than experts recommend, and half of them do so with their doctor's support, according to new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study found that 40.4 percent of U.S. mothers interviewed from 2005 to 2007 said they introduced solid foods to infants before they were 4 months old -- that represents an increase of about 29 percent from earlier studies, the researchers reported today in the journal Pediatrics.

Read this story on www.medpagetoday.com.

More than half of the mothers (55 percent) cited a doctor's advice as one of the reasons for introducing solids before 4 months.

"With multiple sources of information on infant feeding and care from healthcare providers, family, friends, and media, specific information on the timing of solid food introduction may be conflicting and not necessarily sensitive to the needs of mothers," the authors said.

Among mothers who introduced solid foods earlier than 4 months, the mean age of the children at introduction was 11.8 weeks, and 9.1 percent of early introducers gave solids to infants younger than 4 weeks, they added.

The authors noted that if they factored in the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) 2012 feeding recommendation to avoid giving solid foods until 6 months, 92.9 percent of their analytic sample would have been "early introducers."

Solid foods included dairy {other than milk) such as yogurt, soy foods (other than soy milk) such as tofu, infant cereals and starches, fruits and vegetables, french fries, meat and chicken, fish, peanut butter or nuts and sweets.

Introducing solids early may increase the risk of some chronic diseases, the authors noted, including diabetes, obesity, eczema, and celiac disease.

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The study used monthly 7-day food-frequency questionnaires throughout infancy to pinpoint infant age when solid food was introduced, and to classify whether the child was breastfed only, given only formula, or both at the time of solid-food incorporation.

Besides doctor's advice, other reasons cited for starting solid foods before 4 months included:

"My baby was old enough" (88.9 percent)

"My baby seemed hungry a lot of the time" (71.4 percent)

"My baby wanted the food I ate" (66.8 percent)

"I wanted to feed my baby something in addition to breast milk or formula" (64.8 percent)

"It would help my baby sleep longer at night." (46.4 percent)

Among early introducers, 52.7 percent exclusively formula-fed their infants; 50.2 percent mixed formula with breastfeeding, and 24.3 percent only breastfed.

Younger, unmarried, less educated, and Women Infants and Children (WIC) recipients were more likely to introduce solids, the authors said. Women who had delivered more than one child comprised 70.9 percent of early introducers. Only 29.1 percent of early introducers were first-time mothers.

The AAP recommends babies be exclusively breastfed for their first 6 months and that breastfeeding be maintained throughout the first year.

Why Is Your Dog Laughing?

Does your pet talk to you? Probably, but there's a problem. You don't speak the same language.

That's a little inconvenient when it comes to the family mutt, but it could pose a major problem for researches around the world.

The workhorse in scientific laboratories is the lowly rodent and it has helped illuminate everything from diseases to drugs to human emotions, but new research suggests scientists have not been getting the full story. It turns out that rats speak a language that, until now, was understood only by other rats.

They sniff, but not just to detect odors. They sniff to warn a potential rival to back off, because this is the baddest rat in the cage. It's a way of enforcing hierarchy.

We've all known for years that many animals, including the ubiquitous family dog, sniff to collect information. But new research from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine shows that the same process can also transmit information -- and thus is a form of two way communications -- at least among rodents, and probably among dogs and all sorts of animals.

"I'm certain this research has never been done before on rodents," neuroscientist Daniel W. Wesson, author of the study, published in Current Biology, said in a telephone interview. "There might be a little more going on than we previously thought."

Is it possible that some research projects -- especially experiments that use animal models to study human emotions -- have been compromised by the fact that we don't know what the animals are saying to each other? This finding is not likely to undermine most projects, but there are probably a few researchers out there who are feeling a bit uncomfortable.

A study last year from Stanford University raised questions about a standard practice in the pharmaceutical industry's search for drugs to treat human depression. Rodents are commonly put under stress, thus inducing depression, so drugs can be tested.

One technique is a "forced swim" test. A mouse is thrown into the water and when it gives up trying to swim it is presumed to be in a state of despair, leading to depression. That assumes that mice experience a common human condition, despair, but scientists noted that no one can be sure because the mouse can't talk about it.

Steven Hyman of MIT and Harvard University, a leading researcher on psychiatric drugs, who commented on that study when it was released, raised this question: "Who interviewed the mouse?"

Maybe the mouse quit swimming not out of despair, but to conserve energy, Hyman suggested.

No one interviewed the mouse, because no one speaks the language.

That's what Case Western's Wesson set out to do. Wesson is an animal lover, and he often noticed how much his dog likes to sniff other dogs when he takes it for a walk. Dogs love to sniff, as we all know, but Wesson suspected there was more going on than just collecting information on the other animal.

"When my dog approaches another dog, they sniff each other face to face (as well as other regions of the anatomy,)" he said. "Sometimes that can result in my dog's mouth being around the other dog's head, and there was nothing I could see that would tip me that was about to happen. There is no growling or barking.

"That makes you think there are other signals being conveyed between the two animals that we are just not aware of."

Dad Mourns Son Killed by Airport Sign

After an airport sign fell on 10-year-old Luke Bresette, killing him and injuring his family in Alabama, the boy's father is finding comfort in his son's love of sports.

Ryan Bresette had written on his Facebook page that he would be pulling for the Butler Bulldogs, his son's favorite team, to win Saturday night.

Read More: Airport Sign Falls, Kills 10-Year-Old Boy

Although Marquette ultimately edged out Butler 74-72 in this year's college basketball tournament, friends wrote that they had no doubt Luke was "dancing in heaven."

"Words cannot describe the pain we feel. Thank you all for the love and support. Keep praying and praying and praying," Ryan Bresette wrote.

He asked friends to wear their favorite sports team shirts to a church Mass in honor of his son.

"Luke loved sports! I miss and love Luke so very much," he said.

The Bresette family of Overland Park, Kan., was returning home from a beachfront vacation in Florida Friday when a large flight-display board toppled over at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

The accident happened several weeks after the flight terminal reopened from a $201 million remodeling.

It took a half-dozen bystanders to help lift the 300-pound flight-status board and free the four injured family members.

Luke was rushed to Children's of Alabama Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His mother, Heather Bresette, was listed in critical condition at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. Two other brothers also sustained injuries.

Airport spokeswoman Toni Herrera-Bast told ABC News affiliate ABC 3340 that the incident was being investigated.

"We're going to continue to look into the situation, but for now, we have secured the site," Herrera-Bast said.

Luke's older sister, Anna Bresette, has been tweeting about the family's ordeal and wrote that her two other brothers' injuries were not life-threatening. She also tweeted that her mother had a broken pelvis and two broken ankles. She wrote on Twitter Friday afternoon, "It still feels like a dream."

Birmingham Mayor William Bell released a statement Friday addressing the incident and investigation.

"I have asked our public-safety staff to assist this family in their time of need in any way possible as they grapple with what has happened," Bell said.

Although the area where the sign fell was cordoned off, the airport remained open after the incident.

The FBI-Birmingham Citizens Academy Alumni Association announced it will open a fund Monday to help the Bresette family cover their expenses.

Man Dies Swinging From Rock Arch

A 22-year-old Utah man was killed trying to swing through the opening of a 110-foot-tall sandstone arch in a stunt made so popular on YouTube that state authorities recently banned the daredevil activity by commercial outfitters.

Kyle Lee Stocking, of West Jordan, left too much slack in the rope he was using, and it sent him crashing into the sandstone base of Corona Arch near Moab, Grand County sheriff's officials said. He died Sunday afternoon.

Viral videos have bolstered the activity, which involves swinging wildly from ropes through arch and canyon openings. One video titled "World's Largest Rope Swing" has racked up more than 17 million views on YouTube since it was posted in February.

"Pendulum" swinging is a relatively new form of recreation in Utah's canyon lands, which see plenty of injuries and deaths from rock climbing and BASE jumping, which involves leaping from a fixed object with a parachute. On March 13, another man, Zachery Taylor, was killed rappelling at Tear Drop Arch in Utah's Monument Valley.

It's part of the recreational "craziness" sweeping the Moab area, where the annual Jeep Safari week got started Saturday, another potentially dangerous activity that involves rock crawling in modified vehicles, said John Weisheit, of Living Rivers, a local environmental group.

"People aren't accepting nature for what it is. They have to put an element of excitement into it," said Weisheit, a longtime rafting guide. "People see it on YouTube and then say, 'That looks like fun.'"

Stocking was with a group of five friends authorities didn't identify. His family in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan couldn't be reached Monday.

It wasn't immediately clear how Stocking or his friends miscalculated the distance for a wild swing through Corona Arch. Sheriff's Lt. Kim Neal said Stocking left too much rope loose when he clipped into his waist harness.

"A lot of people are doing it around here," said Sean Hazell at Moab outfitter Western Spirit Cycling, who was planning to make his own jump from the top of Corona Arch. "I'm definitely going to think twice about it now."

Corona Arch is on Utah state trust lands but is set to be turned over to a federal land-management agency as part of a larger trade of state and federal lands. Because of the accident, the Bureau of Land Management is "taking a closer look at appropriate ways to balance and manage these activities on public lands," BLM spokeswoman Megan Crandall said Monday.

The Utah Trust Lands Administration tried to curb Corona Arch's growing appeal by banning commercial jumping effective Jan. 1. But the agency said it can't prevent private parties from using its lands. The agency posted a trailhead warning about the potential for "severe injury or death even if your equipment works."

Stocking's rope and harness didn't fail. His mistake was miscalculating the length of slack rope for the swing, Neal said.

"These people involved in extreme outdoor sports, I admire their courage, but I'm not going to do it," Neal said.

Helen Kutsher of 'Borscht Belt' Resort Dies at 89

MONTICELLO, N.Y. March 20, 2013 (AP)

Helen Kutsher, who doted on generations of guests at one of the most famous "Borscht Belt" hotels, has died at 89.

Family members said Kutsher died Tuesday in a hospital in Philadelphia, where she had lived for several years.

Kutsher's was founded in 1907 in the Catskills and became a big name in the days when the region attracted largely Jewish families who drove a few hours north from New York City to escape the summer heat.

In the region's heyday, Kutsher's was known for serving up big portions of prime rib and blintzes and for attracting entertainers like Tony Bennett and Milton Berle. Wilt Chamberlain worked there as a bellhop. It was the sort of big, bustling resort portrayed in the 1987 movie "Dirty Dancing."

Helen Kutsher was the face of the resort, gregariously greeting guests with a smile when they walked in and making sure their needs were met.

"She was more than the greeter, she was the heart of the hotel," said her daughter Mady Prowler. "She always sent people birthday cards and had little gifts for the grandchildren. She made sure people felt that they were pretty special."

Born Helen Wasser on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, she first came to the Kutsher's at age 10 after her mother's death. She later introduced her widowed father to his future second wife, Rebecca Kutsher, a member of the family that ran the hotel. Her children say Helen Kutsher essentially grew up at Kutsher's.

In 1946, Helen Kutsher married Rebecca Kutsher's nephew Milton Kutsher and they had three children. Milton Kutsher died in 1998. She continued to work at the hotel into her 80s.

Her funeral is Thursday in Monticello.

The Kutsher family still owns the hotel, but it is operated by others.

———

Associated Press writer Michael Hill in Albany contributed to this report.

Family Sues to Force Sex Offender to Buy Their House

A Pennsylvania family has sued in an attempt to force its sex offender neighbor to buy the family's house, where the family claims its "trapped" after he was convicted of sexually assaulting their daughter.

The lawsuit was filed in Lehigh County by the child's parents.

Oliver Larry Beck, 65, pleaded guilty in 2011 to indecent assault of a child under the age of 13, and was sentenced to three to 23 months in prison. He served time, and upon his release, was forced to register as a sex offender.

The family claims that its home's proximity to a registered sex offender makes it "virtually unmarketable." The parents also claim they feel "trapped" living next door to the man who violated their daughter.

Beck's attorney did not respond to ABCNews.com's request for comment.

"The situation is not a run-of-the-mill general situation where there's just a registered sex offender in the general area or even in close proximity," Diane Sodano, the family's attorney, told ABCNews.com. "The sex offender owns all of the property surrounding this family."

The lawsuit identifies Sodano's clients, the girl, who is now 9 years old, and her parents, by only their initials.

"We are not trying to address the large socio-economic issue of anyone who may live in close proximity to a registered sex offender and that effect on their property value," Sodano said. "That is a much broader issue that is not intended to be addressed."

"This is a ... unique, specific situation," she said. "It's financially unfeasible for this family to move. They are trapped in this house."

The lawsuit claims that when the family moved into its house in 2005, Beck "reached out and befriended the plaintiffs over the years, building ... trust in them. ..."

The parents also have two younger daughters and claim in the lawsuit that Beck befriended them by giving them generous Halloween bags, Christmas gifts and money. They claim he "regularly" left gifts of fresh produce and flowers on the family's patio.

In the winter of 2009-2010, according to the lawsuit, Beck's "interactions" with his neighbor's older daughter intensified. He gave her "more frequent and longer four-wheeler rides," and took her to feed fish at a pond and farm animals at a neighbor's property, and put out food for "native animals."

The suit also detailed a number of incidents in which Beck "inappropriately touched" the little girl "on various parts of her person, including her vaginal area," removed her clothing and videotaped some of the assaults.

On many occasions and dates between 2009 through Feb. 2, 2011, Beck "outrageously, recklessly, intentionally, willfully, and/or maliciously did touch [the girl] in the aforesaid ways," the lawsuit claims.

The child "has suffered and will indefinitely into the future continue to suffer great mental anguish, emotional distress, psychological injuries, physical manifestations of emotional distress, embarrassment, shame, humiliation, loss of self-esteem, disgrace, pain, suffering, and inconvenience, and related adverse effects," the lawsuit states.

The family is also asking for punitive damages for a number of reasons, including to cover therapy, counseling and attorney fees.

Beck's "physical presence in close and constant proximity" to the family has put them under "duress" to move, but they have had trouble selling the house with a sex offender so close by.

Tube-Deprived Kate Middleton Gets 'Baby on Board' Badge

                                                                                           (Image Credit: Sang Tan/AP Photo)

Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton proved today that she is just like every other commuter in England, for a moment at least.

The duchess, pregnant with the heir to England’s royal throne, paid a visit to the Baker Street Underground Station in London along with her great-in-laws, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

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The trio was on hand at the historic stop to celebrate 150 years of service for the Tube, London’s subway system.

While all eyes were on the queen to see how she was recovering from the bout of gastroenteritis that sent her to the hospital earlier this month, it was the 31-year-old duchess who walked away with a keepsake from the visit.

READ MORE: Kate Middleton, Prince William Appear at Horse Race

Middleton, the wife of Prince William, was gifted a “Baby on Board” badge by London Underground chief operating officer Howard Collins, according to the UK’s Mirror.  The badge is said to be worn by pregnant women riding the Tube to ensure they are given a seat, and to avoid any embarrassing gaffes should a non-pregnant woman be mistaken for needing a seat for that reason.

“I’ll make sure I wear it at home,” Middleton reportedly told Collins.

The duchess, due in July, was looking as fashionable as ever, wearing a teal coat, black hat and black hose. Middleton also sported black pumps, showing she is undeterred by the high-heel mishap that befell her Sunday when her heel became stuck in a grate while attending a St. Patrick’s Day ceremony with Prince William.

RELATED: Kate Middleton’s Pregnant Fashion Frenzy

While at the station, the queen, Philip and the duchess viewed a restored carriage from 1892 and met with staff.  They also watched as a plaque was revealed naming one of the new trains after the queen, Queen Elizabeth II.

Middleton, who has been seen grocery shopping herself and shopping at mass retailers like Gap and Topshop, even let slip one of the things she misses in her royal life.

“I used to use the Tube on a regular basis,” she said, according to the Mirror.  “I miss traveling on the Tube.”

Arias 'Killing' Victim Again, Friend Says

The family and friends of Travis Alexander said it was difficult to watch Jodi Arias testify for nearly a month and "murder him again" with what they said are lies about Alexander's behavior and character.

"Travis is not on trial. Jodi is on trial and she done everything to put him on trial," Chris Hughes, who was Alexander's best friend, told ABC News in an exclusive interview.

Hughes has been watching the trial mostly from his home in Utah while members of Alexander's family, including at least three of his seven brothers and sisters, have been in the front row of the courtroom almost every day.

Arias, 32, is accused of murdering Alexander by stabbing him 27 times, slitting his throat and shooting him in the head. She could face the death penalty if convicted.

Arias initially lied about killing her ex-boyfriend in 2008, but eventually said she killed him in self defense. During her 18 days on the stand she described Alexander as a sexual deviant who was interested in boys, was increasingly demanding sexually and prone to violent outbursts. She claims she killed him when Alexander became enraged that she dropped his camera while taking nude pictures of him in the shower.

"I watched her murder him over and over again…she is trying to get something to stick with the jury," Hughes said.

Catching Up on the Trial? Check Out ABC News' Jodi Arias Trial Coverage

He said that he "forgives" Arias, but he wants her punished.

"I believe she should be in prison for the rest of her life," he said at one point. But later, Hughes said she deserves the death penalty for her "calculating" killing of "the most violent kind."

Hughes said Arias' testimony was particularly hard for Alexander's family to endure, particularly the photos of his mutilated body.

"They had planned on not looking at it…that was unbearable for them," he said.

They were not bothered by the details of what the defense team has called Alexander's secret sexual life with Arias.

"It's called a sex life. It's supposed to be a secret. We don't advertise that stuff. They don't care about that stuff," Hughes said.

But they are "stupefied by her…they are devastated by the lies and her assault on his character and all her unsubstantiated stories," he said. "It's just the lies..to hear her kill him over and over and over again."

The family also finds it galling to hear Arias claim she has no memory of stabbing Alexander 27 times.

The claim is "ridiculous..anybody with a brain would think it was ridiculous," Hughes said.

The trial has not only been emotionally draining for the Alexander family but has taken a financial toll as well. They have tapped out their savings, are living on credit cards and one family member lost out on a job promotion because of the time spent at the trial, Hughes said.

"Not attending was not an option. Leaving is not an option. They are going to see this through to the very end," said Hughes.

Hughes created a website www.TravisAlexanderFund.com to help the family with their expenses as the trial lingers on. He said they never asked for help and were surprised by the help. He said the support has been inspiring with complete strangers donating. "There's a lot of people who never met Travis that love him," Hughes said.

Buyer Who Paid $2.2 Million for Rare Chinese Bowl Calls It 'Absolutely Perfect'

London art dealer Giuseppe Eskenaz says his new bowl is “absolutely perfect. It doesn’t have a crack or a chip or any imperfection.”

Not bad for a bowl that not long ago was bought at a tag sale in New York state for $3.

In the tales of trash to treasure made famous by shows like “Antiques Roadshow” and the DIY decorating craze, the sale of this Chinese bowl at Sotheby’s may top them all.

On Tuesday it sold at the famed auction house  for $2.23 million, nearly eight times its estimated price.

The bowl,  from the Northern Song Dynasty, had sat on a shelf in the living room of the owner’s upstate New York home since 2007,  Sotheby’s confirmed to ABCNews.com.

READ MORE: Rare Australian Coin Fetches Record Price

When the family, who has remained anonymous, noticed the increased interest in Chinese art among collectors in recent years, it had the bowl appraised and realized its value, according to Sotheby’s

PHOTOS: Expensive Auction Items

“This piece arrived in a simple looking box and when the top was opened, my first impression was that I was looking at something very, very beautiful … something very special that will be exciting for potential collectors,” said Henry Howard-Sneyd, Sotheby’s vice-chairman of Asian art in North America.

Howard-Sneyd says Sotheby’s tracked down the only other bowl like it in the world, which belongs to the British Museum in London, comparing the two and estimating its value.

The 1,000-year-old bowl, white with an ivory glaze and 5 inches in diameter, was the subject of a focused bidding war on Tuesday, among four bidders both in the room and on the telephone.

The buyer willing to fork over $2,225,000 was London art dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi, who tells ABC News he was willing to go substantially higher and had been thinking about the bowl for six months.

Calling the bowl “absolutely perfect,” said Eskenazi, “the leaf flower carving inside and the leaf on the outside which are also carved, it’s very rare to get that combination.”

Eskenazi has been dealing Chinese art for over 30 years and said he’s not worried about finding a buyer for the bowl. He also said he’s never heard a story like this.

“You don’t really find things for three dollars which are worth a million, two million.”

READ MORE: Women Gets More Than Just Jeans at Goodwill

The bowl had a presale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000, the auction house said.

During day two of Sotheby’s Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction in New York, the auctioneer recalled the reaction he got from the family who owned the bowl, when he told him how much it sold for.

“I got an e-mail that said in capital letters, WOW, and then wow again with a line of exclamation marks,” said Howard-Sneyd. “I can say they were very pleased.”

Fallon Reported in for Leno, Show to NY

As Jay Leno lobs potshots at ratings-challenged NBC in his "Tonight" monologues, speculation is swirling the network is taking steps to replace the host with Jimmy Fallon next year and move the show from Burbank to New York.

NBC confirmed Wednesday it's creating a new studio for Fallon in New York, where he hosts "Late Night." But the network did not comment on a report that the digs at its Rockefeller Plaza headquarters may become home to a transplanted, Fallon-hosted "Tonight."

The New York Times reported the plan in a Wednesday story, citing unidentified network executives. The Hollywood Reporter had a March 1 report about a Fallon-Leno switch, which was denied by the network.

Looming over NBC is its messy, failed effort to replace Leno with Conan O'Brien, which ended in 2010 with Leno regaining "Tonight" and NBC losing O'Brien — who got a $45 million exit deal — to TBS. Leno's current "Tonight" contract expires in September 2014.

That occurred under a different regime, before NBCUniversal was taken over by Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp., which has a reputation for discipline. While NBC dithered and backtracked on its "Tonight" succession plan involving O'Brien, Comcast is likely to be more decisive.

"I don't know if it's possible to have a less orderly transition than Leno-O'Brien," said analyst Brad Adgate of media-buying firm Horizon Media.

Fallon contacted Leno in an effort to help smooth the potential switch, according to a Hollywood Reporter story Wednesday.

The latest roiling of the late-night waters began in January when ABC moved "Jimmy Kimmel Live" back to 11:35 p.m. Eastern to offer direct competition to Leno and CBS' David Letterman.

With the potential for Kimmel, 45, to draw advertiser-favored young viewers away from Leno (62) and Letterman (65), it's unsurprising that their networks might step up their succession planning.

At 38, Fallon is the youngest of the pack.

Leno, who took over "Tonight" from Johnny Carson in 1992, did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment. But he might be taking advantage of other ways to communicate — the "Tonight" stage and its audience of millions.

Although late-night hosts are known for needling their network bosses on-air, the timing of Leno's latest jabs at NBC seemed to make the network particularly uncomfortable. They reportedly asked him to stop; he hasn't.

"You know the whole legend of St. Patrick, right? St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland — and then they came to the United States and became NBC executives," Leno joked on Monday's show.

On Tuesday, he played off a news report about a Serbian woman with a rare brain condition that causes her to see the world upside down: "Isn't that crazy? It's unbelievable. She sees everything upside down. In fact, she thinks NBC is at the top of the ratings."

He kept up the pace Wednesday, according to a NBC transcript released after the show's taping and with gibe included. Leno quipped that scientists may be able to clone extinct species and bring them back from the dead, "so there's hope for NBC."

Leno, who briefly moved to prime-time to make room for O'Brien, has proved himself a wily survivor. Despite the challenge from Kimmel, he and "Tonight" have remained top-rated so far.

But if a change is destined, NBC could be eying next year's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, as a premium launch pad for a revamped "Tonight," analyst Adgate said.

"If they're going to do it, it makes sense to do it when NBC is dominating television for 17 days," he said, and can heavily promote the "Tonight" switch. "They could have Fallon in Sochi, talking it up."

In the April issue of GQ magazine, "Late Night" producer Lorne Michaels ("Saturday Night Live") said a transition to Fallon had "an inevitability to it," adding that he was the closest to Carson that I've seen of this generation."

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Online:

http://www.nbc.com

5 Tips to Make Your Smartphone Battery Last Longer

"Do you know where there is an outlet to plug in my phone?" you ask as you scour the lower part of the wall for a plug. "Does anyone have a charger I can borrow?" you ask friends at the bar as your phone warns you of low battery and you start to sweat.

OK, maybe you haven't been in those exact situations, but you've experienced something like them: Your phone battery is about to die and you wish you had saved power when you had the chance. Or you just wish you had power now.

We've got you covered with these iPhone and Android battery-saving tips.

WATCH: iPhone and Android Battery Life Savings Tips

Tip 1: Turn off the radios you aren't using.
This might be obvious to some, but this is one of the biggest causes of fast battery drain. Turn off the radios in your phone you aren't using; even when they are idle they suck power. That means switching off the WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth when you don't need them.

Chances are you will want to keep the cellular radio on in most situations, but if you are in an area with no service, turn off the cellular or just put the phone in Airplane Mode.

Also, turn off all the apps that are using GPS or location; many of them will keep using the GPS to determine where you are and feed you information based on your location. (On the iPhone this is in the Settings menu under Location Services.)

Tip 2: Turn down the screen brightness.
The screen is the biggest power sucker on your phone. Keep the brightness low whenever you can and set the auto-lock so it turns the screen off when you aren't using it. The iPhone and Android phones also have auto-brightness settings, but you are still best keeping the screen in the 30 percent to 50 percent range if you can.

Many even say setting a darker wallpaper will save some power. And Android users, whatever you do: stay away from the live wallpapers. You are just asking for battery drain with those.

Tip 3: Kill the apps you aren't using.
How many apps do you have open on your phone right now? Go on, check. If it's more than 10 you need to heed this advice. Close apps you aren't using, or at least some of them. iOS and Android phones do a decent job of not allowing all open apps to suck your battery, but keeping more than 10 open is never a good idea. On an Android phone also kill the widgets you don't use; even if they look pretty, they are constantly updating and draining your battery.

And for those who don't know, on the iPhone, you can close apps by double-tapping the Home button to bring up the open apps. Then press-and-hold one of the apps so they start to dance. Select the minus button to close the apps. Hit the Home button when you are done. On Android phones, you can go to the "Manage applications" area in settings or you can select the open apps menu and swipe to close the app.

Tip 4: Turn off or limit notifications.
Notifications are very useful, but they can also tax your battery. Be smart about which app notifications are enabled. Do you need notifications from your recipe app or Yelp? Also make sure those apps that are always busy -- like Twitter or Facebook -- aren't always refreshing with new updates and notifying you of them. With email, make sure you don't have notifications enabled for every new message.

Church Offers to Mortgage Assets to Help Country Out of Financial Hole

The politicians and financiers are scrambling to agree on a deal that would bail out Cyprus and its banks, which are badly in need of a $20 billion loan. Possible solutions include nationalizing pensions, selling a bank to Russia, or taking money out of average Cypriot savers' bank accounts. But might they also have a more divine savior?

The head of Cyprus' Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, has offered to mortgage the church's assets to get Cyprus out of its financial hole. How much does it have? In an interview with ABC News, Chrysostomos said the church's land and hotels were worth somewhere in the billions.

Not enough to bail out Cyprus by itself, he admitted, but enough so that Cyprus doesn't have to grovel and live by stringent demands that come with European Union loans.

"The solution will come from within and we have to stand on our own two feet, without anyone's help," said the archbishop, wearing a simple blue cassock, in his office in central Nicosia. "If I don't help my country, my country will collapse. If the people suffer, the church will also suffer the same fate."

READ: Why Cyprus Freaks Out Russians

Chrysostomos and his aides declined to provide a list of what the church owns, but it is believed to be the country's largest landholder. Chrysostomos said he planned to mortgage the land as well as hotels as collateral. The church is also the largest shareholder of a Cypriot beer and a major shareholder in Hellenic Bank, but aides said those assets were publicly held and therefore not free for Chrysostomos to mortgage on his own.

"We are going to give our whole fortune to the government," he said.

Chrysostomos praised Cypriot parliamentarians for rejecting a plan that would have taken money out of bank accounts in order to help pay for the loan. He did not mince words for the European financers and politicians who drafted the deal, and argued Cyprus should be willing to leave the Eurozone.

"Cyprus is an equal member of the European Union. Unfortunately, all these leaders treated us unfairly," he said. "These minds that these European leaders have -- I believe they will destroy Europe by themselves. So I suggest we have to leave them before they destroy the European Union."

Chrysostomos has called for all Cypriots to sacrifice to help pay back the country's debts. He urged the president to create a national bond, and in the interview said he hoped the church was setting an example to the country's richest residents -- "so they will help also."

Chrysostomos spoke softly, surrounded by impressive art and a long table ringed by gold and wooden chairs. By the time he finished speaking to ABC News, a line of people waited outside his office. He said he believes the church holds considerable moral weight in Cyprus and that people will follow its lead in helping the government find a solution.

"Most of the people will support the government," he says. "They are going to listen to the voice of the church, which is the mother of all of us."

Dr. Oz Sued by Viewer

Dr. Mehmet Oz is being sued by a New Jersey man who claims an insomnia cure promoted on "The Dr. Oz Show" left him with third-degree burns on his feet.

Frank Dietl, 76, claims in a lawsuit filed last Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court that after trying Dr. Oz's "knapsack heated rice footsie," he was "rendered sick, sore, lame and disabled."

His lawyer, Dominick Gullo, told the New York Daily News that his client was "confined to his bed for weeks."

The footsie was an at-home remedy for cold-feet sufferers trying to sleep at night. During a segment on the April 17, 2012, show, Oz, a respected cardiac surgeon and host of the show, encouraged viewers to fill the toes of socks with uncooked rice and warm them in the microwave before going to bed.

"You do this and lie for about 20 minutes with those socks on in bed. The heat will divert blood to your feet," Oz explained on the show.

"When your feet get hot, guess what happens to your body? It gets cold. Your body will automatically adjust its core temperature and as it gets cooler, you're going to be able to sleep better because your body has to be cold in order to get sleepy," he said.

Oz warned his viewers against overheating the socks in the microwave but Dietl claims in the suit that Oz was "under a further duty to warn against any reasonably forseeable risk."

Dietl, who is diabetic, suffers from neuropathy, which means he has "diminished sensation" in his feet. Unaware of how hot the socks were, he suffered third-degree burns to both his feet, the lawsuit says.

"Dr. Oz Show" spokesman Tim Sullivan told ABCNews.com, "At this time, the Dr. Oz Show has not been served with any complaint and therefore cannot comment on the matter, however we stand by the content in our program as safe and educational for our viewers."

How TJ Lane Snuck 'Killer' T-Shirt Into Court

Chardon school shooter TJ Lane likely got up in the middle of the night before his sentencing to scrawl the word "killer" across a prison T-shirt, a brazen move that shocked his attorney, victims' families and even the judge, according to the Geauga County Sheriff's Office.

After the convicted killer arrived in court for his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, he unbuttoned his blue button down shirt to reveal the T-shirt. There were gasps in the courtroom.

Shortly after, Lane, 18, spewed vile and unprintable words at the families of three students he killed, gave them the finger and then laughed and smiled as they described him as an animal and a monster.

Lt. John Hiscox, Jr. of the Geauga County Sheriff's Office said that inmates at the jail are allowed to have three t-shirts, underwear and socks in their room. They also have pliable rubber pens for writing letters and filling out commissary forms.

"What the sheriff thinks happened is in the middle of the night, prior to him going up to court, he had taken one of his T-shirts and wrote the word on it, put the T-shirt on under his jail uniform," Hiscox said.

Full coverage of the Chardon High School Shooting

Inmates wear street clothes to hearings, Hiscox said, so Lane's clothes were brought to the jail, checked and put in a changing room.

"Then they're patted down as they're being put in the back of the cruiser, but no one would have seen the writing on the shirt because it's already now concealed under his shirt for court," the lieutenant said. "Everybody in the whole courtroom was completely taken aback by that. No one in a million years would have guessed that that would happen."

Hiscox said that the shirt and Lane's statement both showed a "total disrespect" for the victims and their families.

"It was probably one of the ugliest things I've ever witnessed," he said.

Lane was waiting for a bus to an alternative school when he killed three students during a Feb. 27, 2012 rampage at Chardon High School. Daniel Parmertor, 16, Demetrius Hewlin, 16, and Russell King Jr., 17, died in the attack. Three other students were injured.

Lane chuckled when the judge sentenced him to three life terms in prison with no chance for parole.

Lane was transferred today to Lorain Correctional Institution in Grafton, Ohio. From there, the state will decide at what prison he will serve out his three life sentences.

When asked if Lane could be punished in any way for the T-shirt, Hiscox said, "It's pretty hard to punish somebody when you just gave somebody three life sentences."

Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge David Fuhry released a statement saying that he did not notice the T-shirt in the courtroom since Lane was seated for the sentencing aside from when the judge entered the chamber.

"Had the court noticed the shirt, the court would have immediately stopped the proceedings, adjourned the court and the court would have ordered the defendant to put on proper attire," the judge's statement said, according to ABC News' Cleveland affiliate WEWS.

In regards to Lane's verbal statement, the judge wrote, "However disgusting it may be, the defendant has a right to make a statement at sentencing."

Lane's attorney Ian Friedman was also stunned by the vulgarity.

"I think everyone in that courtroom was shocked," Friedman told WEWS. "It was something that was not expected and something that I hope no one ever has to experience again."

7 Marines Killed in Training IDed

The seven Marines killed in a training exercise explosion in Nevada this week ranged in age from 19 to 26, most of them veterans of the war in Afghanistan, the military said in announcing their identities this evening.

"We send our prayers and condolences to the families of the Marines and sailors who have been killed and injured in this tragic accident," said Brig. Gen. Jim Lukeman, 2nd Marine Division commanding general, in the written announcement. "Our first priority is to provide them with the support they need during this very difficult time, and we're doing that right now."

The victims were identified as:

      Pfc. Joshua M. Martino, 19, of Clearfield, Pa.
Lance Cpl. David P. Fenn II, 20, of Polk City, Fla.
Lance Cpl. Roger W. Muchnick Jr., 23, of Fairfield, Conn.
Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Taylor, 21, of Marietta, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Mason J. Vanderwork, 21, of Hickory, N.C.
Lance Cpl. William T. Wild IV, 21, of Anne Arundel, Md.
Cpl. Aaron J. Ripperda, 26, of Madison, Ill.

Five of the seven joined the Marines in June 2010, with Wild a Marine since October 2010 and Ripperda since September 2008.

Vanderwork's mother, Melissa, told ABC News affiliate WSOC-TV that she had a special bond with her son.

"He was truly my best friend. Not only my son but my best friend and my hero," Melissa Vanderwork said as she fought back tears. "He wanted to see the world," she added.

Chip Watts, Mason Vanderwork's high school football coach, called him a "team player" and a tough individual.

"Pure tenacity. Work ethic. Desire. Whatever the kid did, he did it 100 mph," Watts told WSOC.

VIDEO: 7 Marines Killed in Training Exercise Identified

Late Tuesday, the seven fallen Marines, all from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, N.C., were honored at a memorial service in the small military town of Hawthorne, Nev.

Flags flew at half-staff as hundreds gathered to pay their respects to the Marines, who were killed when a powerful 60mm mortar exploded in a tube during a training exercise.

"For those guys to lose their lives the way they did, in a training exercise, it was horrible," Michael Aulet said Tuesday night at the vigil.

Many in Hawthorne said they heard the sirens and medical helicopters flying in to rescue the Marines. The explosion occurred at the Hawthorne Army Depot 140 miles southeast of Reno Monday when a mortar round exploded in a tube at 9:55 p.m. MT.

The Marines have issued a suspension on the use of all 60mm mortars and their associated tubes while they conduct a review of what caused a round to explode. The suspension will affect mortars used both in training and in deployed settings.

Eight others were also injured in the blast and transported Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno for injuries that included trauma fractures and vascular injuries, hospital spokeswoman Stacy Kendall told ABC News Tuesday.

"I feel sorry for those families. We'll try to do as much as we can for them," Maria Lohand said, who works at the Army Depot and has children in the military.

Hawthorne has a population of approximately 3,000 people, with many personally connected to the military.

"This is Hawthorne. This is what Hawthorne's about. When something happens here we all band together," Michael Sours, a veteran, said at the vigil.

Amazon CEO Recovers NASA's Apollo Engines from Ocean Deep

Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos today announced that his underwater expedition had successfully recovered the mangled wreckage of two rocket engines from NASA’s Apollo program from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

After spending three weeks at sea, Bezos wrote on his personal blog that he and his team were heading back to Cape Canaveral, in Florida, with a treasure trove of NASA artifacts from the space era.

“We’ve seen an underwater wonderland — an incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end, one that serves testament to the Apollo program,” Bezos wrote.

Thrust Chamber from one of the F-1 engines sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: Bezos Expeditions

Nossle from one of the F-1 engines sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: Bezos Expeditions

Bezos’ team used remotely operated vehicles to dive down 14,000 feet (almost three miles) to the dark depths of the ocean floor, where they recovered “major components” of two Saturn V F-1 rocket engines flown during the Apollo program (1963-’72). The program included lunar missions and earth orbiting missions, most famously Apollo 11, which sent Neil Armstrong to the moon in 1969.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement to ABC News that Bezos approached the space agency nearly a year ago with his plan to recover the engines and praised the team’s efforts.

“We share the excitement expressed by Jeff and his team in announcing the recovery of two of the powerful Saturn V first-stage engines from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean,” Bolden said. ”This is a historic find and I congratulate the team for its determination and perseverance in the recovery of these important artifacts of our first efforts to send humans beyond Earth orbit.”

After decades of being exposed to water, many of the engine components are missing serial numbers or pieces, “which is going to make mission identification difficult,” Bezos wrote.

NASA will work with the expedition team to restore the engine hardware and prevent further corrosion. Bezos hopes to then put the engines on display.

F-1 engine part on the deck of Bezos Expedition's Seabed Worker. Credit: Bezos Expedition

Heat Run Streak to 24 With Huge Comeback Vs. Cavs

Miami's winning streak was in danger of disappearing — in Cleveland, of all places.

But LeBron James wouldn't give up.

"That guy right there doesn't want to lose in this building," teammate Dwayne Wade said, nodding toward James, who left many angry Cavaliers fans behind when he bolted for Miami as a free agent three years ago. "Not tonight."

James scored 25 points as the Heat overcame a 27-point deficit in the third quarter and won their 24th straight game, 98-95 over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night to extend the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.

The Heat are within nine games of matching the record of 33 consecutive wins held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. Once believed to be untouchable, the mark is now within reach.

James and his teammates have insisted the record isn't one of their goals, and for more than 30 minutes the defending champions seemed disinterested and on the verge of losing for the first time since Feb. 1. Miami trailed 67-40 with 7:44 left in the third quarter.

But behind the irrepressible James, who added 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 42 minutes, the Heat inched closer to history and matched the NBA's biggest comeback this season, according to STATS.

Cleveland Cavaliers' Wayne Ellington (21) fouls Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 20, 2013, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) Close

"This was one of the most bizarre, unique days of my life with everything that happened," said James, referring to a homecoming in which a fan ran onto the floor and the opening tip was delayed 35 minutes by a leaky scoreboard. "It also was one of the best comebacks I've ever been a part of."

James had 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in the fourth as Miami rallied to win for the second game in a row. The Heat were down 17 points — 13 in the fourth quarter — and stormed back to beat Boston 105-103 on Monday and surpass the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for the second-longest streak in NBA history.

"I knew there was a lot of time, so we never panicked," James said. "We were down 27 with 18 minutes left. That's a lifetime in basketball."

Although the Cavs were missing All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao — their top three scorers — they pushed Miami to the limit.

It wasn't until James, playing his fourth game back in Cleveland since leaving, made two free throws with 4.7 seconds left that Miami could relax, but just a little. The Cavs had one last chance to tie it, but C.J. Miles was long with a 3-pointer in the final second, letting Miami off the hook.

Following the game, James stopped to sign a few autographs as he made his way to Miami's locker room. This was much tougher than he and the Heat could have imagined. The win also completed a five-game road trip, dubbed "The Reunion Tour" by James because Miami visited Wade's home in Milwaukee, Chris Bosh's former team in Toronto and Ray Allen's in Boston.

"The streak wasn't on my mind, but us getting blown out was," James said. "I was going to be the only guy to take an 'L' on the reunion tour."

Mario Chalmers added 17 points and Wade had 11 for the Heat, who outscored the Cavs 30-18 in the fourth quarter and 64-40 in the second half.

Wayne Ellington had 20 points and Tristan Thompson 18 for Cleveland, which went from a stunning upset to blowing the biggest lead in a loss in franchise history.

School Shooter Laughs, Insults Families at Sentencing

Ohio school shooter TJ Lane spewed vile and unprintable words today at the families of three students he killed, gave them the finger and then laughed and smiled as they described him as an animal and a monster.

Lane, 18, got another chuckle when the judge sentenced him to three life terms in prison with no chance for parole.

Lane was waiting for a bus to an alternative school when he killed three students during a Feb. 27, 2012 rampage at Chardon High School. Daniel Parmertor, 16, Demetrius Hewlin, 16, and Russell King Jr., 17, died in the attack. Three other students were injured.

Full coverage of the Chardon High School Shooting

Lane arrived at his sentencing hearing today wearing a blue button down shirt. After he sat down, he unbuttoned the shirt to reveal a white T-shirt with the word "killer" emblazoned across the front in black marker.

When Lane was given the opportunity to make a statement to the court, he gave a short, crude statement that ended with "f*** all of you" before sticking up his middle finger in the courtroom filled with the loved ones of the three students he gunned down.

"Frankly, I wasn't prepared for this," the prosecutor said moments after Lane's gesture. He said the action was proof that Lane is a "disgusting human being."

"This is confirming what we have known all along, that this was a cold, calculated, premeditated killing," the prosecutor said.

Lane smirked and smiled as family members of his victims called him "repulsive" and hoped for him to be locked up in a cage "like an animal" for the rest of his life.

Lane's defense attorney told the court that he "strongly urged" Lane not say what he was about to the court, but Lane proceeded anyway.

Survivor Nick Walczak was in court today. Walczak was shot twice in the neck, once in the back and once in the arm. He was left paralyzed after one of the bullets hit his spinal cord. He was friends with the three teens who were killed.

Several family members of those Lane killed and hurt were in court and made strongly worded statements.

"A few weeks prior to the shooting, Russell told his friends that he wanted to hang out with the shooter again," Russell King Jr.'s sister told the court. "He wanted to be his friend. He felt sorry for him."

Lane smirked.

The strongest words condemning Lane came from Dina Parmertor, Daniel Parmertor's mother.

"I want him to feel my anger towards him," she said. "After today I refuse to give him a second of my thoughts...He is repulsive. We don't speak his name and we never will."

Lane laughed as she spoke.

"I am in pain every minute of every day. I cry every day," she said. "I will never be the same because of him...My children look at me and do not see the same mom they used to know."

Parmertor's mom said she worries every time her family members leave the house, fearing it will be the last time she sees them.

She called him a "monster" and a "pathetic excuse for a human being."

"I hope you have a cold, rough, unkind prison life with monsters like yourself," she said. "If I had my choice you would die an extremely slow, torturous death...You're a weak, pathetic, vile coward."

"What was the motive for this merciless rampage?" the judge asked before announcing his sentence. "The answer is, we don't know. We have not been provided a clear answer or even a murky one."

Judge David Fuhry said Lane appeared to simply want to "make a big splash, make front page news."

"[He] attacked without discernible motive, provocation or reason. The court finds such a person extremely dangerous," he said.

The judge said whether Lane was in any way impaired at the time of the shooting was a big consideration. He said it was proven that Lane feigned mental illness after the shooting.

"To the contrary, TJ Lane was an intelligent student positioned to graduate early. He was not insane, incompetent or impaired on Feb. 27, 2012," the judge said. "He consciously and methodically carried out a plan to kill...Of course he knew that what he was doing was wrong."

Lane plead guilty on Feb. 26 to three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault. He was not eligible for the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the shooting.

Bolshoi Denies 'Brothel' Accusations

MOSCOW – The world-famous Bolshoi ballet has reportedly dismissed claims by a former top ballerina that the dance company pimped out its female dancers to wealthy donors.

Former ballet star Anastasia Volochkova made the claim during an appearance on a Russian talk show on Sunday, calling the theater a “giant brothel.”

She said ballerinas were pressured by the theater’s management to attend parties thrown by its biggest financial backers, often with the expectation that they would then follow the rich businessmen to bed. She said resistance could lead to professional repercussions within the theater.

Volochkova was dismissed by the Bolshoi in 2003, reportedly because the company thought she was too fat.

The Bolshoi’s general manager Anatoly Iksanov dismissed the allegations, saying, according to Russian news reports, “I don’t comment on dirt and nonsense.”

Yesterday, theater spokesperson Katerina Novikova declined to comment on the specific claims, saying, “I don’t know yet if the [theater's] management has decided on how to react to everything that was said in the show.”

The claims are just the latest black eye for the Bolshoi, which is still reeling from a vicious acid attack on its artistic director in January.

Sergei Filin was doused with sulfuric acid as he walked to his apartment building on Jan. 17. Earlier this month, police arrested Pavel Dmitrichenko, a top Bolshoi dancer, and two other men for allegedly ordering and carrying out the attack.

The attack sent shock waves through the Bolshoi, with fingers being pointed at other top dancers who some believe may have instigated the attack. Last week, however, several hundred Bolshoi employees signed a letter siding with Dmitrichenko, suggesting he confessed to masterminding the attack only after being pressured to do so.

Filin suffered severe burns on his face and is currently recovering in a German hospital where doctors are scrambling to save his eyesight.

Taming Tiger Might Boost Lindsey Vonn

Tiger Woods was caught up in one of the biggest celebrity scandals in Hollywood three years ago, when he publicly apologized for a string of extramarital affairs, said he was going to rehab for sex addiction and divorced his wife.

So what would lead champion skier Lindsey Vonn, or any woman for that matter, to date one of the world’s most-famous repentant cheaters?

“Women love bad boys,” author Wendy Walsh said.

Walsh, a sex and relationship expert who is the author of “The 30-Day Love Detox,” told ABC News that America has a history of forgiving wealthy, successful and powerful men.

Vonn, 28, might find a relationship with the 37-year-old pro golfer attractive, Walsh said, because she gets the public triumph of being the one who “tamed the Tiger.”

“The thing she wants to be more than anything in the world, mark my words, is to be the woman who changed and tamed the Tiger, the one who cured the bad boy,” Walsh said. ”There actually has been research done on this, that women are attracted to bad boys, especially so that they can have this wonderful feeling of victory and self-esteem because they were the ones that got him to change.”

                                                  (Image Credit: Courtesy Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods)

On the other hand, Pepper Schwartz, a sociologist and sexologist who is the author of “The Normal Bar,” said Vonn might be with Woods because she believes he is a changed man and is simply enjoying the attention he has shown her in their budding relationship.

“I think she is with him because there is something in it for her,” Schwartz said. “If she is in love with him or loves his company  …  for all I know they could both want to be monogamous.

“Maybe she is not invested in him,” she added. “Maybe she is thinking, ‘This is great fun, I’m going to enjoy this’ and that’s it.”

READ: Tiger Woods and Linsey Vonn by the Numbers

While rumors of Woods and Vonn’s romance had been circling for months prior to their Facebook announcement Monday, the relationship is a fresh start for both pro-athletes. Vonn finalized her divorce from from her husband and former coach, Thomas Vonn, in January. Woods divorced his wife, Elin Nordegren, in 2010 after his multiple affairs came to light.

Woods publicly announced that his monogamous relationship could be another step in repairing his tarnished image.

“If he gets caught in strange hotel rooms with strange women, people will say he’s not cured, so he has to get a girlfriend,” Walsh said.

Schwartz agreed that the couple’s announcing their relationship is a step in boosting a positive image for both of their careers. But there is a “kind of redemption in love,” she said, and certain circumstances where people can change, if that is the case with Woods.

As for their Facebook announcement, Schwartz said, “It could be [Woods] saying that I’m happy. I’m not a miserable, ’kicked out of the house’ guy anymore. I’ve got somebody who loves me … and I want you know it.

“The question is, is he ready to be a mature partner? Is he ready to create some trust or is he ready to say, ‘This is who I am?’”

Both experts said it was understandable that the world would be fascinated with Vonn and Woods because they are high-profile people coming together for the first time.

“Some people want Tiger to make this grand comeback, especially men who see him as this fallen hero who suddenly turned into this good guy and got his game back on top,” Walsh said.

Schwartz added, “I just think that if a man is desirable or if a woman is desirable and they have slept around a lot, we are in a world now that that was then and this is now.”

More Bad News for Carnival Cruise

After more than a month of mishaps, Carnival Corp., the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, has announced the cancellation of more cruises.

The cruise line will cancel an additional 10 cruises on the Carnival Triumph and two on the Carnival Sunshine.

RELATED: Triumph Passengers, Undaunted by Stranding, Will Cruise Again

The cruise line said in a statement that the additional cancellation of cruises was the "first implementation phase of its fleetwide comprehensive operational review."

Carnival CEO Gerry Cahill first announced the plan for a fleet-wide review at a cruise industry event in Miami last week, after a fire on the Triumph ship and just days before the Dream and Legend incidents that disrupted more vacations.

The 10 additional cruises canceled by Carnival affect itineraries through May. It will return to service, the cruise line said, on June 3. Guests on the affected voyages will receive a full refund, reimbursement for non-refundable transportation costs and a 25 percent discount on a future four- to five-day cruise.

Carnival Sunshine is in a previously scheduled dry dock for a full-ship makeover. It will now enter service May 5, 2013, following the cancellation of two European cruises. Guests on the canceled Carnival Sunshine voyages will receive a full refund, plus reimbursement for any non-refundable travel costs. Additionally, they will receive a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.

"I would like to provide continued assurances that all of our vessels have fully effective safety systems, equipment and training in place," Cahill said in the statement. "Additionally, our ships receive regular inspections from the United States Coast Guard and other regulatory authorities.

"The changes we are implementing are focused primarily on improvements to better support continued power and hotel services should unexpected issues arise.

"In addition, we are applying new learnings and making enhancements in the area of fire suppression and extinguishing. Going forward, the review will focus on the balance of our fleet. While this process will take time, it is our highest priority and has the full support and resources of Carnival Cruise Lines and Carnival Corporation."

It was the Carnival Triumph engine fire and subsequent stranding of passengers at sea for five days that kicked off a series of events for the cruise line. Next it was the Carnival Elation, which had an issue with one of the two units used to steer the ship, prompting the cruise line to give it a tug boat escort down the Mississippi River.

Next, the Carnival Dream lost power in port on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, requiring all passengers to be flown home rather than completing their itinerary.

Finally, the Carnival Legend had a technical problem that prevented it from cruising at its optimal speed and causing passengers to miss one port of call.