LOOK! 72-year-old says he’s world’s shortest man

Chandra Bahadur Dangi, 72, believes he is world’s shortest man at 1 foot, 10 inches (NYDN) A 72-year-old man in Nepal claims to be the world’s shortest man, and he may prove to be the shortest adult human in Guinness World Records’ history. Chandra Bahadur Dangi says he is 1 foot, 10 inches tall, which would make him 1.6 inches shorter than the current official record holder, Junrey Balawing of the Philippines, and one centimeter shorter than any adult human ever documented. PHOTOS: CRAZIEST GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS Guinness officials will travel to Dangi’s village to verify his claim. Guinness posted video of Dangi on its YouTube channel. The shortest adult human ever, according to Guinness, was Gul…

The tragedy of Allen Iverson

He seems totally unprepared for his greatest challenge: life. (SBNation.com) From the second the NBA left Allen Iverson, I wondered what in the world he would do without basketball. It seems “paying his bills” wasn’t on his to-do list. The gumshoes at TMZ say Iverson’s bank account has been garnished to pay an exorbitant jewelry bill. Per American custom, that’s brought out snickers and finger wagging. Iverson made over $150 million, according to basketball-reference.com. Now, he’s 36-years-old and can’t even come up with the money to pay for bling he’s too old to wear. People laugh when rich folks struggle. In this case, I see two levels of tragedy. There’s the predictability of it all. Even the best…

TV anchor & NYPD Commissioner’s son accused of rape

Woman accuses Greg Kelly, son of police comissioner, of raping her ‘Good Day New York’ co-host is no-show on program (NYDN) “Good Day New York” co-host Greg Kelly — son of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly — was a no-show on the program Thursday morning after reports that a Manhattan woman had accused him of rape. The woman told cops she had drinks with Kelly, 43, at the South Street Seaport Oct. 8 before he sexually assaulted her in the law office where she worked, sources said. The accuser, who is around 30, did not report the alleged assault until Tuesday night, when she walked into the 13th Precinct stationhouse and gave her account, sources said. Cops interviewed the woman, but…

Mom who survived tragic fire in CT tries to kill herself

Madonna Badger, who lost three daughters and both parents in Christmas Day fire, tried to kill herself (NYDN) The tragic mom who lost her three young daughters and parents in a Christmas Day blaze in Connecticut tried to take her own life. Madonna Badger, one of only two survivors of the fire at her waterfront mansion in Stamford, was hospitalized last week after injuring herself in a bid to end her terrible personal pain, a relative confirmed to the Daily News. “She is okay. . . . She is out (of the hospital) and somewhere safe,” the relative said. “It’s just terrible — nobody could really hold up well under the circumstances.” The suicide attempt was first…

Duke students call for better climate for blacks

(theGRIO) — DURHAM, N.C. (AP) – A group of about two dozen Duke University students urged administrators Tuesday to create a better climate and provide more financial support for black students, saying they’ve been disappointed so far in how top officials have reacted to their viewpoints. The students, almost all of whom were black, unsuccessfully sought a meeting with university President Richard Brodhead at his campus office in hopes of explaining a document they describe as a call to action for the prestigious, private southern school. Concerns range from the future location of a black culture center to the lack of support for a black student group’s annual event and a recent study that suggested African-American…

STRAP UP!Condoms now required in porn films

Mayor still has to approve the bill; question now is how the law would be enforced LOS ANGELES — Actors in adult movies filmed in the nation’s Porn Capital would be required to use condoms under an ordinance granted final approval Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council. The measure, adopted 9-1, next goes to the mayor for his signature. Before it can take effect, however, the City Council has ordered police officials, the city attorney and others to hold meetings to figure out how it might be enforced. The council’s second and final vote to approve the law was taken without public discussion on a day when most of the porn industry’s major players…

7 teens arrested in brutal beating of Chicago boy

7 teens, including a girl, arrested in brutal beating of Chicago boy (NYDN) Chicago police have charged seven teens, including one girl, in the ruthless gang beating of a 17-year-old boy that was captured in a sickening YouTube video. Only one of the teens was identified. Seventeen-year-old Raymond Palomino — who appears to be the only one the video not wearing a ski mask — was charged as an adult with robbery and aggravated battery, according to the Chicago Tribune. Two 16-year-olds and three 15-year-olds, which includes the girl, were charged as juveniles with robbery and aggravated battery. Their names were not released. Windy City police said the beating happened in a snowy alley Sunday at…

Burger King tests delivery service

Burger King rolls out delivery service in Virginia & Maryland; no word yet on New York (NYDN) Got a whopper of a craving for Burger King? A new delivery service can satisfy it. The fast-food chain has been quietly rolling out delivery services at select stores in Maryland and Virginia, the company confirmed. “Now that Burger King is testing out home delivery, you can tell your neighbors that, last night, you were served dinner by royalty,” one Twitter user quipped. The news of the new delivery service was first reported by Bloomberg News. The delivery service is available at nine stores in Maryland and three in Virginia, with six more to be added in the Old…

Haitian families still separated 2 years post-quake

Haiti earthquake 2 years later: Homeland Security has failed Haitian families (theGRIO) Since Haiti’s devastating quake two years ago today, many Republicans and Democrats have been urging President Obama to take a simple step to save lives and speed recovery, one which would cost virtually nothing, reunite families, and help thousands in Haiti. Ten editorial boards have urged the Obama administration to take the step, as have nine U.S.senators, the chairpersons of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Philadelphia’s City Council, 87 members of the U.S. Congress in a December 15 letter, eight Florida Congresspersons including Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson in a December 22 letter, the Center for…

Sexual orientation make Robert Champion a target?

Parents of hazed Florida A&M drum major say son was gay, announce suit against company that provided bus where fatal beating occurred (NYDN) The parents of a Florida A&M drum major who was killed in a suspected hazing incident say their son may have been targeted because he was gay. Family lawyer Chris Chestnut told CBS that he had spoken to more than 10 witnesses who were aboard the bus where Robert Champion Jr. was hazed and that it was “a possibility” that the 26-year-old’s sexual orientation played a factor in his brutal beating. “His sexual orientation was not something he was defined by,” Chestnut told The Associated Press. “He was more defined by music. “This was not something that…