Over-25 vote gave Clinton crucial edge

“There are at least three potential explanations for the difference between the under-25 and the over-25 vote: that the nature of Clinton’s pitch to young voters had more appeal to voters in their late 20s; that 25 is about the age at which Clinton nostalgia may still kick in; and that Obama had a stronger organization on campus, while Clinton had a better field operation in the cities where young adults are most likely to live.”

“Finally, there is the fact that on college campuses, Obama support has become a social phenomenon, aided in part by his success on social networking sites like Facebook. Older 20-somethings, being away from that buzz, are less likely to be as hooked. For example, Eric Hemmer, 29, of Londonderry, said at a Clinton rally on Sunday that he did not even know enough about Obama to form an opinion of him. But he did know enough about Clinton’s long association with health care reform to vote for her on that basis.”

“Regardless of which candidates young voters chose, youth organizers celebrated that they came out and had an impact. ‘For an hour or more the entire country was hanging on what college precincts would do,’ said Sujatha Jahagirdar, a program director at Student PIRG’s New Voters Project. ‘Nothing like that has ever happened before.’ “

When joggers encounter aggressive dogs…

“Always be alert to your surroundings. Don’t wear headphones, which limit your ability to hear danger approaching.”

“If an aggressive dog approaches, don’t make eye contact or move suddenly. This can cause the dog to attack. Turn sideways with your hands at your side and stand motionless.”

“Never run from an attacking dog.”

Minneapolis bridge part designed too thin

“Federal investigators announced Tuesday that a “serious design error” was a key factor behind last summer’s deadly collapse of a Minnesota bridge, but also said that the mistake would not likely have been discovered during routine state inspections.”

“Safety board officials said their investigation was far from over, and the exact cause of the collapse was still unknown. But investigators don’t think that deficiencies in materials, maintenance or inspections played a significant role.”

“After opening to traffic in 1967, the I-35W bridge — like many others — was modified. Such modifications, which included thickening the driving deck, probably added strain to the bridge’s weaker spots. And over the decades, traffic increased on the downtown bridge.”

Tiger attack survivor on tape: ‘My brother’s about to die out here!’

“A Siberian tiger was on the loose at the San Francisco Zoo. A series of 911 calls and emergency communications released for the first time Tuesday revealed the fear, confusion, shock and disbelief that ensued after the frantic young man reported the attack – and raised more questions about the zoo’s response.”

“The tapes could support allegations that the zoo was ill-prepared to deal with the attack and that officials wasted valuable time thinking the report was a hoax and then overstating the problem by broadcasting that four other predatory cats were wandering the darkened zoo.”

US Supreme Court Reinstates New York Election Rules

“The U.S. Supreme Court reinstated New York’s method for selecting Democratic and Republican judicial candidates, saying the decades-old approach doesn’t violate the constitutional rights of voters or would-be candidates.”

“A federal trial judge said the rules were unconstitutional and ordered the state to shift to a primary system until it could overhaul its convention procedures. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York then upheld that ruling.”

“The justices hinted during arguments in October that they were inclined toward overturning the lower court and approving the New York approach. Several justices said New York gives rank- and-file party members more input than they would have under a convention-only system or one that lets party officials select the nominees directly.”

Cattle Drive Through Detroit Streets Heralds Ram

“The trucks drove the herd down barricaded city streets with a group of riders on horseback keeping them in check. But as Press detailed changes to the Ram, such as coil springs designed for a better ride, the cattle kept stealing the show.”

“Before the cattle drive, which came on the first day of media previews at the North American International Auto Show, men in cowboy hats and ranch work clothes loaded bales of hay into a mud-spattered Ram and hammered together fences.”