Don Deane

Ever been told to “grin and bear it” during a rough time? According to a new study by researchers at the University of Kansas, that advice might be more than just an old cliché. In fact, the study says, smiling might just be good for your heart.

Although details are sketchy at the moment, several news outlets are reporting that a gunman has shot multiple people near the Empire State Building in Manhattan this morning.

In the U.K., a 40-year-old man recently had a plastic fork surgically removed from his stomach after swallowing it. That’s bad enough, but when you consider that he ingested the item a decade ago, the story reaches all new levels of weird. We’ll never look at cutlery the same way again.

Although she’s never considered herself “the beauty pageant type,” Wisconsin resident Tasha Schuh was recently crowned Miss Wheelchair USA in a nationwide competition that celebrates the accomplishments of disabled women.

A Chicago Cubs fan named Greg wanted to give his girlfriend a marriage proposal that she’d never forget. So he popped the question via the video scoreboard during a game on Monday night at Wrigley Field. There was just one problem — she wasn’t in her seat at the time.

While some may prefer the relative quiet of working the late shift, a new study says that after-hours work may be bad for your health. In fact, the study says, working the graveyard shift may actually give you a heart attack or stroke.

There are funny pranks and those that are just plain cruel. This one, where a husband convinces his wife that they’re about to be creamed by a semi truck in a head-on collision, is definitely more the latter. Hey, this could be grounds for divorce, buddy.

As one-half of the legendary team also starring Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh-Jennings is instantly recognizable as one of the greatest beach volleyball players in the world. Together, they’re defending Olympic champions who won gold medals in both the 2004 and 2008 games, and they’re looking to repeat their success for a third time in London this year.

More than 200 Chihuahuas were removed from a Benton, Pennsylvania home yesterday after officials deemed the environment dangerous to the dogs’ well-being. While it’s a terribly sad story to be sure, at least the internet community can breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn’t corgis.

You’d think that, out of all the different kinds of livestock, turtles would be the easiest to keep penned in. And yet, some 1,600 turtles recently fled a Georgia farm. Granted, it was probably a very slow break for freedom.

In a move that will probably delight and disgust convenience store shoppers at the same time, 7-11 has begun offering mashed potatoes and gravy via a vending machine. Alas, the machines aren’t available here in the US yet. As strange as it sounds, we’d probably be first on line if they were.

A down-and-out New Mexico woman has put her “slightly used” soul up for auction on eBay. The starting price is only $2,000, which, if you think about it, is a great price for an immortal soul. Any takers?

Of all the US athletes set to participate in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, none have captured our hearts more so than Lolo (real name Lori) Jones. And why not?

As part of its increasing efforts to promote an equal environment for gay users, Facebook added two new icons over the weekend which make it possible to declare same-sex marriage status.

For more than a decade, Michael Phelps has been the undisputed star of male competitive swimming. But that may change when 27-year-old Ryan Lochte competes at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London and vies for the title of the fastest swimmer alive. To get to know this athlete better, here are 10 things you may not know about the Olympic hopeful.

Sometimes, even the most diligent news network can make a mistake. But when two networks botch a report only minutes apart? Well, that qualifies as news itself.

As if high cholesterol, heart disease and the potential for Mad Cow aren’t bad enough, now red meat lovers have another threat to contend with — an allergic reaction to beef potentially triggered by a bite from the common lone star tick.

Climbing aboard a scary amusement park ride when you’re afraid of heights — like this dad did — takes guts. But appearing on ‘Today’ and explaining your sobbing, terrified reaction? That takes more courage than we can even imagine.

Filmmaker and author Nora Ephron, who penned such iconic comedies as ‘When Harry Met Sally’ and ‘Sleepless in Seattle,’ died Tuesday night at New York Presbyterian after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia. She was 71-years-old.

The elderly may seem like easy targets to thieves, but as this story shows, that isn’t always the case. On Monday, an unidentified 90-year-old California woman teamed up with a good Samaritan to chase down a mugger who robbed her outside a convenience store. Is this the beginning of a new crime fighting duo?