Round pebbles on Mars reveal past flowing water
LOS ANGELES – A fresh analysis by NASA’s Curiosity rover confirms a stream once ran through Gale Crater on Mars.
During a pit stop last year, Curiosity came upon hundreds of smooth, round pebbles that look strikingly similar to deposits in river banks on Earth.
Scientists believe the rover rolled onto an ancient streambed, but needed to study the stones in more detail. So Curiosity snapped high-resolution pictures and fired its laser at several pebbles to analyze the chemical makeup.
Researchers say the roundness of the stones was shaped by a fast-flowing stream that probably was ankle- to waist-deep. Curiosity landed in the crater near the equator last summer.
Lawyer in Mexico argues for U.S. woman’s release
PHOENIX – A lawyer for an Arizona woman accused of smuggling drugs in Mexico has presented evidence to the judge in the case that they hope will prove she is innocent.
The evidence included video showing Yanira and Gary Maldonado were the last two people to board a bus and that they carried bottles of water and blankets to stay warm.
Lawyer Jose Francisco Benitez Paz says the video shows they couldn’t possibly have sneaked 12 pounds of marijuana onto the bus under the blankets.
A judge could decide Friday whether to throw out the case. The arrest has prompted outrage in the U.S. among politicians and family members who believe she was set up by a smuggler.
McDonald’s CEO: I lost weight being more active
NEW YORK – They might start calling it the McDiet.
McDonald Corp.’s CEO Don Thompson revealed at an analyst conference this week that he shed about 20 pounds in the last year by getting his “butt up” and “working out again.” But he said he hasn’t changed his habit of eating at McDonald’s “every, single day.”
Thompson, who has been on the job for less than a year, was responding to a question about how the world’s biggest hamburger chain is adapting amid growing concerns about obesity.
Thompson said that he lost the weight by getting active again. He noted that Europeans walk a lot and that it’s rare to see Europeans that are “very, very heavy.”
Obama’s pick to head FBI widely praised
WASHINGTON – Republicans said Thursday they see no major obstacles to Senate confirmation of James Comey, the former deputy attorney general in the Bush administration who is expected to be nominated by President Barack Obama as the next FBI director.
Comey, who would replace Robert Mueller as head of the national security organization, is certain to face tough questions about his work as a counsel for a major hedge fund and his ties to Wall Street as well as how he would handle current, high-profile FBI investigations.
But Republicans and Democrats said the former prosecutor’s strong credentials and sterling reputation suggest his path to confirmation should be relatively smooth.
Associated Press
