Though many parents might advise their children to not eat too much candy, the Food and Drug Administration this year warns candy-loving grown-ups to lay off black licorice. In a statement the FDA preaches moderation of the treat in adults over the age of 40 because eating more than two ounces of black licorice per day [...]

The United Nations Population Division declared Oct. 31 as the day that the world’s population bumped up to 7 billion, adding to the exponential growth that added 1 billion people in just the last 12 years. Although population scientists will never know when the exact date of the 7 billionth baby will be born, the [...]

In the last week, South Korean smartphone subscriptions have surpassed 20 million. As smartphones become an integral part of more and more peoples lives, the competition within the smartphone market has become increasingly intense, as competitors such as Samsung and Apple fight for dominance. This figure, however, does not necessarily reflect if Samsung actually surpassed [...]

Scientists from USC, in collaboration with researchers from Sweden’s Uppsala University, have decoded the Copiale Cipher, the university announced Oct. 25. The document is an 18th Century German manuscript comprising 75,000 characters in 105 pages. It details rituals performed by one of the many secret societies that flourished in the country in the 1700s. Research [...]

A Nebraska mother and her three roommates accused of keeping children in a dog cage attended a hearing Oct. 27. Police discovered four children in a wire kennel at their trailer. Police Lieutenant Rich Hoaglund said in a statement that the metal kennel was secured by a wire tie with a mattress and animal feces [...]

On Oct. 26, a nightmare-sized version of a children’s toy washed up on a Florida beach — an 8-foot-tall Lego man named Ego Leonard, who apparently wants you to show him your world.  On his website, translated from Dutch, reads “I am here to discover and learn about your world and thoughts. Show me all [...]

Speculations of Apple releasing a television set were further fueled after the release of Walter Isaacson’s biography Steve Jobs on Oct. 24, which hinted that Apple was moving into the television market. Presumably, the device will be a LCD television powered by Apple’s iOS software, capable of synching wirelessly with other Apple devices, and integrated [...]

From Thursday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 23, the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Exposition Park opened its doors to more than 5,000 needy citizens, serving as the location of one of L.A.’s largest free clinics. Organized by the LA-based CareNow, an international relief agency, the clinic treated thousands of people who needed help but [...]

In a bizarre incident Wednesday afternoon in Zanesville, Ohio, 56 exotic animals including wolves, monkeys, bears and 18 Bengal tigers were set free from a private reserve and subsequently either shot or tranquilized by police. The animals were let out of their pens by Terry Thompson, 62, who died in an apparent suicide after freeing the animals. [...]

McDonald’s is intriducing its own TV channel — the company announced Oct. 17 it will begin establishing it in about 800 McDonald’s outlets in Central and Southern California in the near future. McDonald’s Channel will target its dine-in customers. It will broadcast local news in addition to entertainment programming. Vimby, a Van Nuys-based digital production [...]