Cheat Sheet - The Science of Jeremy Lin's Streak

Today: Syria Troops Fire on Funeral, Bird Flu Study to be Published, Powell Had Cartoon Sex Images February 18, 2012 ON FIRE 1. The Science of Jeremy Lin's Streak The New York Knicks finally lost Friday night after winning seven straight games, but "Linsanity" lives on as the young Taiwanese-American Harvard grad had another stellar game, scoring 26 points and adding four steals. Lin's run of high-powered offense has catapulted the Knicks back into the playoff conversation, but how long can it last? We look at the science behind hot streaks. Read it at The Daily Beast UPRISING 2. Syria Troops Fire on Funeral As the Syrian government continues its brutal, incessant crackdown on its citizens, the opposition staged a mass protest and funeral Saturday, about a mile away from the leader's palace. The funeral was being held for three killed in the area on Friday. Government troops reportedly fired on the mourners in Damascus, while also peppering them with tear gas. The rally has reportedly drawn 15,000—the largest crowd in the capital since the 11-month uprising began. Meanwhile, a Chinese minister met with Assad on Saturday, and backed the president's widely criticized referendum on a new constitution that he said would lead to parliamentary elections and resolve the crisis. Read it at The Associated Press H5N1 3. Bird Flu Study to be Published Despite a plea by the United States that a study of the bird-flu virus be censored—so that some information would remain secret from potential terrorists—the experiments will be published in full detail. The World Health Organization made the announcement Friday after 22 experts in the field met in Geneva and came to a "strong agreement" that any terrorist threat is outweighed by the "real and present danger" of flu viruses in the wild. What made the experiments so terrifying? The virus, which has infected millions of birds, mutated so that it would be more contagious to humans—and more deadly. Read it at The New York Times BIZARRE 4. Powell Had Cartoon Sex Images In yet another bizarre twist to the tragic story, Josh Powell—who killed himself and his two boys in a house explosion on Feb. 5—had 400 disturbing images of cartoon sex and incest on his computer. Utah authorities investigating the disappearance of Powell's wife reportedly kept this knowledge secret for two years. Six days before Powell killed himself, a Washington state psychologist—who had said Powell should be allowed supervised visits with his kids—said that the images were of "great concern." For unknown reasons, the photos weren't received until mid-January. The disturbing pictures feature characters like the Rugrats, Dennis the Menace, and SpongeBob SquarePants engaging in sex acts. Read it at The Associated Press TRIUMPH 5. Maryland Passes Gay Marriage Bill Another vote, another win for gay rights—this time in Maryland where the House of Delegates voted to approve gay marriage. The measure passed by a thin margin—71 to 67—and now heads to the Maryland state Senate, which is expected to approve the legislation. A similar bill failed to gain enough votes in the House last year. Gov. Martin O'Malley, a strong proponent of gay marriage, lobbied for the bill this week and will approve it once it passes the upper chamber. The news comes on the heels of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoing a same-sex marriage bill in the Garden State. Read it at Reuters SUPER TUESDAY Newt's Troubles At Home Gingrich can't get Romney to debate him in his home state of Georgia, which he needs to win desperately. He dishes to The Beast's Patricia Murphy. BUSTED Terror Suspect Arrested Near Capitol Considered several targets for suicide bombing. MELODRAMATIC Santorum: Ohio Is Ground Zero State awards 63 delegates on Super Tuesday. DEBACLE Google Tracked Users on Safari Congressmen call for investigation of privacy violation. GETTING READY Newark Preps for Whitney Funeral Huge crowds expected Saturday. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Anthony Shadid: The Middle East's Great Voice of Reason Dies by Christopher Dickey The Week's Best Longreads: The Daily Beast Picks for Feb. 18, 2012 by David Sessions African American Stars Remember Whitney Houston by Allison Samuels

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