1. Marriage Is Healthy for the Heart
Nagging wives and husbands, rejoice. According to a new study, divorced, widowed and single folks have more heart problems than married couples. “We don’t really have a clear explanation” for this correlation, said cardiologist Dr. Vera Bittner. Those with a spouse “may be more willing to follow up with medical appointments,” she said, as well as take recommended drugs, diet and exercises. The results of the study held true for men and women of all ages, regardless of other heart disease risk factors. If you want your heart to live happily ever after, it may be worth considering a walk down the aisle.
2. Hold the Guacamole: A Lime Shortage Is Squeezing Restaurateurs
Thanks to a perfect storm of factors including weather, citrus disease and drug cartels, a lime shortage has left chefs and bartenders scrambling. The price of a lime is higher than it’s ever been, 32 cents more than it was at this time last year, while the price for a case of limes has soared to $100. Most limes consumed in the U.S. come from Mexico, specifically an area where one drug cartel has been strong-arming local farmers, hindering lime harvest and export. Frustrated farmers have begun to fight back, and with the arrival of spring, officials are hopeful that production of the beloved citrus will pick up soon.
3. Malaysia Airline Flight 370 Search Zone Shifts Again
Australian authorities shifted the search zone for Flight 370 due to new evidence that suggests the plane was moving faster and crashed earlier than previously believed. The news was met with renewed anger from those who point to seven days of searching in the wrong place, yet again. However, the new zone is closer to land and in calmer waters -- hopefully leading to a quicker recovery of the plane and offering some closure for the families still searching for answers.
4. BP’s Lake Michigan Oil Spill Bigger Than Originally Reported
It’s bad to spill crude oil into Lake Michigan. It’s worse to spill oil and then publicly underestimate how much you leaked. Today, BP more than doubled its original figure after a spill on Monday at its Whiting refinery in northwestern Indiana. The company first reported as many as 18 barrels leaked after a plant malfunction; now it’s up to 39 barrels, or 1,638 gallons. The EPA says the spill will have no long-term impact on the lake, but it is investigating possible violations of the Clean Water Act.
5. Why Is #CancelColbert Trending?
Satirical news shows like “The Colbert Report” can run into trouble when jokes are taken out of context. And that's exactly what happened on Tuesday night when a partial Colbert bit was tweeted by the show. It read: "I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever." The tweet has since been deleted, but the damage was done. A firestorm erupted on Twitter and soon the hashtag #CancelColbert was trending. Comedy Central responded saying Colbert himself did not write the tweet and also that the joke, which targeted Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, was being taken out of context. Still critics maintained context or not, the bit was offensive. Colbert responded to all of the noise in character. “@StephenAtHome #CancelColbert - I agree! Just saw @ColbertReport tweet. I share your rage. Who is that, though? I'm @StephenAtHome.’
6. Breakfast War: Round Two
Yesterday we noted Taco Bell is using real-life people named Ronald McDonald in commercials to promote their new Waffle Taco. Now it appears a fast food breakfast war is underway. After the release of the Taco Bell Ronald McDonald commercial, McDonald’s seems to be firing back. The world’s largest hamburger chain is offering free coffee for a limited time to customers nationwide. Breakfast sales make up a hearty 20 percent of McDonald’s U.S. sales and we can be sure that the burger chain does not take its morning competition lightly. Your move Taco Bell.
NBC News' Alex Presha contributed to this post.
