Consumer Sentiment Little Changed in April

Consumer sentiment was little changed in April as Americans expected the economy to slowly improve, though they were less cheery about the state of their own finances, a survey released on Friday showed.
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment inched up to 76.4 from 76.2 in March.
The survey topped economists' forecasts for 75.7, which had been the preliminary figure reported in early April.
While recent developments in the overall economy were viewed as being somewhat less favorable, the outlook for the recovery still improved.
The gauge of consumer expectations rose to 72.3 from 69.8, while the component measuring the five-year outlook rose to 92 from 89.

Brandon Weeden

Brandon Weeden’s night went pretty much just the way he wanted.
He spent the first night of the NFL draft at home, hanging out with friends and otherwise trying to act normal on a day that had no hope of being normal.
Rather than putting on a suit and hanging out backstage — for who knows how long — at Radio City Music Hall, the former Oklahoma State quarterback decided to spend it at home in Edmond, Okla.
“I didn’t know where I might land or how it was going to shake out,” Weeden said, shortly after he was drafted. “You just hope you get an opportunity to play in the NFL. I’m finally going to get the opportunity to do that.”

Ann Romney Says She Had a Health

Ann Romney revealed for the first time she had a health "scare" during the days leading up to the Super Tuesday primary contests, indicating that her battle with multiple sclerosis could limit the time she spends on the trail with her husband.
"There have been some days, like the day before Super Tuesday, I was quite fatigued and I knew I couldn't quit. I didn't tell anybody I was tired," Romney told "Entertainment Tonight's" Nancy O'Dell, when asked how her multiple sclerosis diagnosis affects her time on the trail.

Heart Attack Grill

RoadFish.com men's lifestyle and finance magazine was fairly appalled to learn of the second diner in the span of two months collapsing during a meal at the Heart Attack Grill and being rushed to the hospital. RoadFish.com hopes that these back-to-back incidents will spark awareness in people to take good care of their health, and evaluate what they are putting into their bodies. RoadFish.com believes that you can't put a price tag on a healthy diet, and that good health, wealth, and happiness go hand in hand.
There is a sign at the Heart Attack Grill that issues the warning, "This Establishment is Bad for Your Health." Items on the menu include burgers with names such as the "Triple" and "Quadruple Bypass Burger," and lard-cooked "Flatliner French Fries." The quadruple bypass burger has even been named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most caloric sandwich in the world, coming in at 10,000 calories for the 4-patty burger topped with layers of cheese and bacon.

Luke Askew

Big Love" actor Luke Askew died from lung cancer last month in his home in Oregon, according to news reports.
The actor, who also acted in "Cool Hand Luke" and "Easy Rider," turned 80 three days before his death, OregonLive.com reported.
While there is little information on the circumstances of Askew's lung cancer -- what kind of cancer he had, how long he had it or what complications ultimately caused his death -- age is known to be a risk factor for many cancers.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer-related death for men when they are age 40 or older. For women, lung cancer outpaces breast cancer to be the leading cancer-related cause of death once they hit age 60.

Jennifer Hudson

Chicago prosecutors created a buzz by calling Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson as their first witness during the trial of the man accused of killing her mother, brother and nephew. But the hard part starts Tuesday, when they'll have to get down to the nitty-gritty of their case.
With no surviving witnesses to the murders, prosecutors must offer overwhelming circumstantial evidence that William Balfour, the ex-husband of Hudson's sister, committed the grisly crime on Oct. 24, 2008. They are expected to introduce evidence in the next few days that includes cellphone records and security-camera footage that place Balfour in the area of the killings, since he denies he was there.

Obama’s student Loan Push Helps him Court Crucial Young Voters

President Barack Obama escapes the stuffy confines of Washington on Tuesday, traveling on a two-day swing through major universities in the electoral battlegrounds of North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa. His mission: to push Congress to keep a lid on student loan costs—and reconnect with young voters who powered his historic 2008 campaign.
The campaign-style trip includes Obama's first appearance on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," in a segment taped Tuesday afternoon at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
At the policy level, Obama will champion legislation to keep interest rates on some popular student loans from doubling—from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent—which would tack on roughly another $1,000 each year in costs over the life of those loans, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said at the White House on Friday.