Diner’s Journal Blog: PepsiCo Will Halt Use of Additive in Gatorade

PepsiCo announced on Friday that it would no longer use an ingredient in Gatorade after consumers complained.The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, which was used in citrus versions of the sports drink to prevent the flavorings from separating, was the object of a petition started on Change.org by Sarah Kavanagh, a 15-year-old from Hattiesburg, Miss., who became concerned about the ingredient after...

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Chinese Officials Fired Over Chongqing Sex Scandal

BEIJING — The young women met the officials for illicit trysts with video cameras hidden in their purses. Every detail of the encounters was recorded. Then a group of men confronted the officials with the video recordings and made demands. China’s state news media reported on Friday details of a sex extortion ring that brazenly operated “honey traps” in the southwest metropolis of Chongqing...

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DUST 514, Online Shooter Set in EVE Online Universe, Enters Open Beta

First announced in 2009, CCP Games’ online first-person shooter tie-in to its popular sci-fi MMO, EVE Online, was finally released as an open beta on Tuesday. Called DUST 514, it allows PlayStation 3 owners to play in the same world as EVE Online, fighting ground battles while EVE Online pilots contest star systems. The results of DUST 514 matches affect worlds and in-game corporations in EVE Online,...

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Shakespeare, his work, come to life in PBS series

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jeremy Irons has a suggestion for "Downton Abbey" fans: Give William Shakespeare a try, too.Irons is among the prominent hosts of "Shakespeare Uncovered," an inventive series tracing the origins of eight of the writer's plays through a combination of history, new analysis, selected scenes — and, for Irons, a gallop on horseback across a fabled battlefield.The series begins 9 p.m.-11...

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SciTimes Update: Science News From Around the Web

Matthew Born for The New York TimesAn estimated 15,000 crocodiles, like this one, have escaped from a farm in Limpopo, South Africa. Friday in science, crocodiles on the loose, coffee fraud, a sleepy squirrel wakes up and melting glaciers. Check out these headlines from around the Web. Crocodiles on the Loose: An estimated 15,000 crocodiles have escaped from a farm in Limpopo, South Africa,...

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DealBook: S.E.C. Pick Is Ex-Prosecutor, in Signal to Wall Street

9:13 p.m. | Updated The White House delivered a strong message to Wall Street on Thursday, taking the unusual step of choosing two former prosecutors as top financial regulators.But translating that message into action will not be easy, given the complexities of the market and Wall Street’s aggressive nature.At a short White House ceremony, President Obama named Mary Jo White, the first female United...

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36 Hours in Marin County, Calif.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, you arrive in Marin even before landing on solid ground. The county line hangs above the water’s edge, which is fitting, since the county itself feels suspended — ethereal, privileged, a place apart from the rest of the Bay Area. Fearing the perils of suburban sprawl, Marin invested early and often in conservation. Outside of a handful of small cities...

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TSX near 18-month high, buoyed by Agrium, RIM

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada’s main stock index hit a near 18-month high on Thursday, as shares of Agrium Inc rose after the fertilizer maker raised its profit forecast and as U.S. manufacturing and labor data drove optimism on the economic outlook of Canada’s largest trade partner.Shares of Research In Motion Ltd also boosted the market, rising more than 3 percent after a report that China’s Lenovo...

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White, Underwood, Lumineers to perform at Grammys

NEW YORK (AP) — Grammy nominees Jack White, Carrie Underwood and the Lumineers will hit the Grammys stage next month.The Recording Academy announced Thursday that those acts will join previously announced performers including fun., The Black Keys and Taylor Swift at the Feb. 10 awards show in Los Angeles.White is nominated for album of the year and the Lumineers are up for best new artist.U.K. newcomer...

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Well: Ask Well: Long-Term Use of Nicotine Gum

In small doses, like those contained in the gum, nicotine is generally considered safe. But it does have stimulant properties that can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels. One large report from 2010 found that compared to people given a placebo, those who used nicotine replacement therapies had a higher risk of heart palpitations and chest pains.That’s one reason...

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