Eric Ringham1. LeBron James, during a live, hour-long broadcast, has announced his decision to go to the Miami Heat to join the ranks of Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Let the onslaught begin.
He’s an honest guy… all he wants to do is win! Well, with a crew like that in South Beach, winning is the appetizer, entree and dessert.
2. The suburban and largely ineffective Russian spies apprehended this past week are going to be part of a deal to retrieve four individuals accused in Russia of having contacts in Western intelligence agencies. From the New York Times article:
The 10 long-term sleeper agents pleaded guilty to conspiracy before a federal judge in Manhattan after revealing their true identities. All 10 were sentenced to time served and were to be transferred to Russian custody as part of a deal in which Moscow will release the four Russian prisoners, three of whom were serving long sentences after being convicted of treason for spying.
Well, yeah, they’re letting them go because they didn’t have any valuable information… of course, there is the possibility they’ll bring the top-secret hydrangea-growing skills back to the Motherland and the Western flower-selling business will be ruined.
3. Humor — tell you where to go Yoda will, crash you might…
(via Jalopnik)
4. Mosquitoes have returned with a vengeance this year, it seems, so Lifehacker editor Adam Pash has compiled a few tips on how to get rid of the inevitable bite:
If the itching is more than you can stand and you don’t have itch cream on hand, check your drawers for nail polish or Scotch tape.
Scotch tape? Nail polish? Wow… well why don’t we just put anything we find around the house on bites and see what happens?
The best way to treat a mosquito bite: lick the end of your finger to wet it then pour salt on it. Rub this onto the bite.
Ah. Ouch. I’ll stick with scratching and complaining, I think.
(via Lifehacker)
5. Finally, look at the party The Current and The Walker Art Center can throw — absolutely incredible.
TODAY’S QUESTION
Three out of five college students admit to cheating on tests and assignments. Is trying to catch cheaters a worthwhile use of college resources?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: Professors and college administration are using technology to crack down on cheating, and yet it still persists in most fields of study. Do students cheat because of ignorance, desperation or malicious intent? Midmorning speaks with researchers about why students aren’t playing fair.
Second hour: Hollywood keeps cranking out blockbusters for the summer movie season, but fewer people are going to see them. Have the movie makers lost their mojo, or are audience tastes simply changing?
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – First hour: Jon Gordon, MPR’s Social Media and Mobile News Editor answers questions about these technologies and their role at MPR.
Second hour: A speaker from the Aspen Ideas Festival. Topic: TBA
Science Friday (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: Scientists are cutting and pasting genes to create engineered organisms, but what are the ethical implications of toying with DNA?
Second hour: A performance by scientist-rockers “The Amygdaloids.” Plus, swimming pool chemistry and summer plant diseases.
All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.)
(Bob Collins is not writing today. Today’s 5×8 is assembled by Elliot deBruyn)
