Daily News Digest: Most Popular News

Chappelle's Show Is 'Done,' Murphy Says
Time to face the facts: Dave Chappelle's hit Comedy Central series isn't coming back, says one of its stars. "`Chappelle's Show' is over, man. Done," comic Charlie Murphy told TV Guide. "It took me a long time to be able to say those words, but I can say it pretty easy now, because it's the truth."

Calif. Girl, 11, Avoids Felony Trial
An 11-year-old girl who threw a rock at a boy during a water balloon fight escaped jail time Wednesday on a felony assault with a deadly weapon charge after lawyers worked out a deal in the emotionally charged case.

Why Do Men Have Nipples?
Reuters - Have you ever wondered why your teeth chatter when you're cold, or if you could really catch a disease from sitting on a toilet seat?

Birds, plants thrive on UK organic farms -study
Birds and bats and wild plants are thriving on Britain's organic farms, a study by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) said on Wednesday.

Court Tosses Cherokee Gay-Marriage Case
A Cherokee Nation court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the tribe from giving its legal blessing to a lesbian couple's marriage.

Leading Muslim tells British faithful: abandon hijab
A leading moderate Muslim in Britain advised women against wearing the Islamic veil for safety reasons in the aftermath of the London bombings.

South Korean Scientists Clone First Dog
South Korea's pioneering stem cell scientist has cloned a dog, smashing another biological barrier and reigniting a fierce ethical debate — while producing a perky, lovable puppy.

Radio jock Howard Stern in TV pact with In Demand
In Demand Network on Wednesday said it has a three-year exclusive deal to begin airing a televised version of popular shock jock Howard Stern's ribald radio show on one of its video-on-demand channels starting later this year.

Honda recalls more than 85,000 minivans
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (7267.T) is recalling 85,154 Odyssey minivans in the United States to fix potential problems with their frontal air bag systems, federal safety regulators said on Wednesday.

New Clues to the Prehumans Diet
SPACE.com / LiveScience.com - The small, slender Australopithecus africanus, which lived between two and three million years ago, appear to have eaten mostly soft foods like fleshy fruits, young leaves and perhaps some meat.

Ohio Battalion Loses 20 Marines in 2 Days
The rash of violence in Iraq this week has taken an especially brutal toll on a Marine battalion based in this working-class town: Twenty members from the unit were killed over two days.

Lightning Kills Boy Scout at Utah Camp
A bolt of lightning killed a 15-year-old Boy Scout and injured three others while they slept in a log shelter during a violent storm.

Bluesman 'Little' Milton in coma after stroke
Blues musician "Little" Milton Campbell, whose gritty vocals and songwriting recalls B.B. King's rough-edged style, was in a coma after suffering a stroke, a friend said on Wednesday.

Reebok-Adidas Merger Presents Challenges
Adidas is pledging to keep the Reebok brand name strong as the German company acquires its American rival, but maintaining brand independence without having Adidas shoes compete against Reebok sneakers will require a balancing act with each merger partner finding its own niches, industry watchers say.

Mayer Needs Fans to Help Finish His Song
John Mayer has writer's block — and he wants your help. The soft-voiced rocker is calling on fans to make a song out of some lyrics that didn't make it onto his upcoming album.

Brain-Dead Woman Dies After Giving Birth
A brain-dead woman who was kept alive for three months so she could deliver the child she was carrying was removed from life support Wednesday and died, a day after giving birth.

Are our products our enemy?
USATODAY.com - A laboratory accident in 1998 helped scientists realize that some chemicals commonly used to make life more convenient can be health hazards. Now more scientists have come to suspect that, even in tiny amounts, some of the chemicals that keep our food fresh and our hair stylish might be derailing fetal development.

Actor Don Knotts too ill for homecoming tribute
A homecoming tribute for Don Knotts in his native West Virginia has been canceled because the 81-year-old actor best known for his role as Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show" is too frail to travel, organizers said on Wednesday.

Gannett buys Detroit Free Press
Gannett Co. Inc. (GCI.N), the largest U.S. newspaper publisher, has agreed to take over the Detroit Free Press from Knight Ridder Inc. (KRI.N) as part of a three-way newspaper deal announced on Wednesday.

What?! "Chappelle Show" Kaput?
E! Online - Fans who were hoping that Dave Chappelle would soon return to work are not going to want to read this.