2/8/2014::Some leftover news,,,

Timothy Davison's Parents Demand 911 Transcripts From Pennsylvania Road Rage Shooting

Parents of a Maine man who was chased and fatally shot by another motorist along a Pennsylvania highway want transcripts of his 911 calls released.

Authorities rejected the request, saying neither the transcripts nor audio recordings can be released due to the ongoing investigation into Timothy Davison's slaying, Fox News reported.

"I don’t want to hear my son’s voice -- that's too painful -- but I do want to read that transcript," the victim's father, Timothy Davison, told Fox. "I’ve got no answers."

If You Like To Eat, You Should Really Be Worried About California's Drought

California had record low rainfall in 2013. It was potentially the driest year in the last 500 years, according to tree rings, and dry weather is expected to last through 2014. The state's $44.7 billion agriculture industry may take a significant hit, and prices for foods that are water-intensive to produce -- such as beef, milk, and tomatoes -- might start reflecting California's water woes.

My Struggles With Anti-Intellectualism

In a recent blog post, "Waging War on Higher Education," I wrote about the need to encourage students to think critically. The piece triggered a flurry of comments from Huffington Post readers. Most of the comments took on a populist, no-nonsense tone that I found all too familiar. Even so, I found some of the comments disconcerting. My discomfort stemmed not from the critical nature of the comments, but from their widespread disdain for critical thinking. Many of the commentators suggested that critical thinking was a kind of "pie in the sky" activity, a luxury we can no longer afford. In this sociocultural orientation to the world, thinking about fine points of philosophy, art or anthropology is often seen as a waste of time. In this narrative, if you go to college, which these days is a major investment of money, you do so to acquire the set of skills to get a good paying job -- end of story. Indeed, the root of my discomfort came from the fact that I've been hearing these anti-intellectual narratives my whole life.

Michigan mom arraigned in son's dismemberment

His father’s terminal illness and death had a dramatic impact on Ramsay Scrivo, who was diagnosed with psychosis and threatened to hang himself when his father died.

His mother, Donna Scrivo, a registered nurse, was granted guardianship of Ramsay, who a doctor listed as paranoid, delusional and suicidal.

Monday, she was arraigned on charges of disinterment and mutilation of a body in the death of her 32-year-old son, whose body parts were found Thursday in bags that had been left in rural parts of China and St. Clair townships. Investigators believe his death occurred in St. Clair Shores, where, according to court records, Ramsay had a condominium.

Microbeads a major problem in L.A. River

Scientist Marcus Eriksen stood ankle deep in the murky Los Angeles River on Friday and dipped a net into the water, looking for a problem.

Eriksen was searching for "microbeads," bits of plastic no bigger than salt grains that absorb toxins such as motor oil and insecticides as they tumble downstream and into the Pacific Ocean.

The tiny polyethylene and polypropylene beads are an emerging concern among scientists and environmentalists. The beads come mostly from personal care products such as facial exfoliants and body washes. They are not biodegradable, however, and because they are not removed easily by wastewater treatment plants, they flow out to sea and enter the food chain.