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February 08, 2012 | | BREAKTHROUGH In the coldest spot on the planet, Russian scientists on Wednesday drilled into an ancient lake in Antarctica located 12,366 feet below the planet’s icy surface. Drilling through the miles of ice took an entire decade, causing mission leader Valery Lukin to liken the breakthrough to the first space flight—“by technological complexity, by importance, by uniqueness.” Lake Vostok, as it is named, is one of 280 Antarctic lakes that have been sealed under miles of ice for 15 to 34 million years. Clues suggest there may have been life in the lakes, which would aid the search for life on Jupiter's icy moons. Scientists had been racing against the clock to reach the lake by the end of the Antarctic summer, and plan to return next year to begin the search for another lake. CONFLICT? Foster Freiss funds the conservative website and the ex-senator’s super PAC. Daily Caller editor Tucker Carlson tells The Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz why he doesn’t see a problem with the connection. Momentum Barack Obama is leading Mitt Romney in Virginia for the first time since the 2012 presidential election has been underway. A new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 47 percent of Virginians support President Obama versus 43 percent who are in favor of Mitt Romney. Back in December, Romney was leading the state 44 percent to 42 percent. When it comes to the state’s Republican primary, however, Romney’s lead is still strong. Also, 49 percent of Virginia voters still disapprove of the president’s job performance, while they disagree 46 percent to 48 percent over whether he deserves a second term. SEX ABUSE One of two girls who accused a second teacher at Miramonte Elementary School, currently undergoing an investigation after shocking charges against two teachers, has taken back her story. Martin Bernard Springer, the second teacher to be arrested, was charged on the basis of only one girl’s testimony after his other accuser recanted. The school was shaken last week by the arrest of teacher Mark Berndt, who is accused of performing sex acts with dozens of students, including blindfolding them and spoon-feeding them semen. All of the school’s teachers were temporarily relieved of their duties while the school conducts the investigation. CRIME A social worker was on the line with a 911 dispatcher when Josh Powell set a huge fire in his home that killed both himself and his two sons. Elizabeth Griffin-Hall had gone to the Powell’s home to monitor a supervised visit between Powell and his two boys, who had been in government custody after the mysterious disappearance of their 28-year-old mother. The 911 call reveals that Powell wouldn’t let her in the house and that she tried frantically to warn authorities. “Nothing like this has ever happened before at these visitations,” she told the dispatcher. “I could hear one of the kids crying, and he still wouldn't let me in.” Griffin-Hall placed a second call moments later, in which she screamed, “He exploded the house! He exploded the house!” | | 
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