What to Know
- Divers recovered a flight data recorder from the crashed Lion Air jet on the seafloor, a crucial development in the investigation
- Scientists have found a new clue that Parkinson's disease may get its start not in the brain but in the gut — maybe in the appendix
- Tyler Perry is saying goodbye to his beloved character Madea, the director told SiriusXM host Bevy Smith on an episode of Bevelations
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Divers Recover Jet's Data Recorder on Indonesia Seafloor
Divers recovered a flight data recorder from the crashed Lion Air jet on the seafloor, a crucial development in the investigation into what caused the 2-month-old plane to plunge into Indonesian seas earlier this week, killing all 189 people on board. One TV station showed footage of two divers after they surfaced, swimming to an inflatable vessel and placing the bright orange device into a large container that was transferred to a search-and-rescue ship. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane crashed just minutes after takeoff from the Indonesian capital Jakarta. It was the worst airline disaster in Indonesia in more than two decades and renewed concerns about safety in its fast-growing aviation industry, which was recently removed from European Union and U.S. blacklists.
Bulger Believed to Have Been Killed With 'Lock-in-the-Sock,' Source Says
Federal law enforcement officials believe Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger was killed with a "lock-in-the-sock" inside his cell, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case tell NBC News. The "lock-in-the-sock" involves placing a prison lock inside an inmate's sock and hitting the victim repeatedly. In this case, two sources say that Bulger was hit repeatedly. Investigators are still exploring several theories about who killed Bulger and when it happened. Fotios "Freddy" Geas a reputed New England mafia hitman has been named as a potential suspect. But two sources tell NBC News that Geas is one of several potential actors they are looking at for the Bulger killing.
Appendix Removal Linked to Lower Risk of Parkinson's, Research Suggests
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Scientists have found a new clue that Parkinson's disease may get its start not in the brain but in the gut — maybe in the appendix. People who had their appendix removed early in life had a lower risk of getting the tremor-inducing brain disease decades later, researchers report. Why? A peek at surgically removed appendix tissue shows this tiny organ, often considered useless, seems to be a storage depot for an abnormal protein — one that, if it somehow makes its way into the brain, becomes a hallmark of Parkinson's. The big surprise, according to studies published in the journal Science Translational Medicine: Lots of people may harbor clumps of that worrisome protein in their appendix — young and old, people with healthy brains and those with Parkinson's.
10th Child Dies at NJ Medical Facility After Viral Outbreak
A 10th child has died at a medical center hit by a viral outbreak, the New Jersey Department of Health said. Nine other "medically fragile" children at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Passaic County have died recently after being exposed to an adenovirus outbreak at the center. A total of 27 children have been sickened in this outbreak, the Department of Health said. A staff member at the facility, who has since recovered, also became ill as part of the outbreak. The New Jersey Department of Health said additional laboratory tests confirmed the additional cases.
Tyler Perry Saying Goodbye to Madea in 2019
Tyler Perry is saying goodbye to his beloved character Madea. "It's time for me to kill that old bitch," the director told SiriusXM host Bevy Smith on an episode of Bevelations. "I'm tired, man. I'm tired." The character's death may come sooner than fans think. Perry revealed he actually shot "A Madea Family Funeral" two years ago; however, he didn't want to go straight from "Boo! A Madea Halloween" and "Boo. 2! A Madea Halloween" to another Madea movie. So, he decided to release "Acrimony," starring Taraji P. Henson, and "Nobody's Fool," his new movie starring Tiffany Haddish, first. "We're going to say goodbye in '19," he said. "I just don't want to be her age playing her." Perry introduced Madea in 1999 in his play "I Can Do Bad All by Myself."
Amy Schumer Claps Back at Trolls Calling Her a Joke Thief
Maybe great minds think alike after all. Comedian Amy Schumer had a lot to say to trolls who accused her of stealing jokes from another comedian. Reddit users in a 2015 channel claimed she stole a sex joke about sexual acts from her fellow comedian and friend, Patrice O’Neal. The channel included a video showing O’Neal making the joke during his 2007 appearance on the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival’s “The Nasty Show” in Montreal. The video then shows Schumer making the same joke but using different names to describe the acts during her 2015 “Live at the Apollo” stand-up. O’Neal calls the acts “The Gorilla Mask” and “The Poltergeist,” but Schumer refers to them as “The Abe Lincoln” and “The Houdini.”
