Career News 24/7: Woman Switches Seats on Plane, Spends 3 Days in Jail (Newser Happy Hour 6-pack)

Friday, December 26, 2014

Woman Switches Seats on Plane, Spends 3 Days in Jail (Newser Happy Hour 6-pack)

The day's six most popular stories, in time to unwind.

Woman Switches Seats on Plane, Spends 3 Days in Jail

(Newser) - A 68-year-old woman is suing United Airlines for $5 million because, she says, she spent three days in jail simply because she switched seats on a plane. Jean Mamakos of New York had changed planes in Seattle en route to Alaska, and after the doors closed for takeoff, she attempted... More »

Hackers: We Brought Down Xbox, PlayStation Services

(Newser) - Thousands of people who got new Xboxes or PlayStations for Christmas were left frustrated yesterday as both networks suffered major disruptions. The problems began Christmas Eve and persisted through the next day, with Microsoft and Sony telling users they were aware of the issues and were doing their best to... More »

NJ Driver Pulls Christmas Vacation Prank

(Newser) - At least one Christmas Vacation fan was driving on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway yesterday. Someone changed a sign for the highway's exit for Clark and Westfield to read "Clark Griswold." Griswold, of course, is the father's character played by Chevy Chase in the Christmas... More »

Turkey's Oldest Tool Alters European History

(Newser) - An early human dropped a stone tool on a floodplain in what is now Turkey about 1.2 million years ago. Today, its discovery is helping scientists pinpoint when humans began their move from Asia to Europe. The quartzite flake, described in Quaternary Science Reviews , is "the earliest securely-dated... More »

Could Seeds of Golden Rain Tree Help Smokers Quit?

(Newser) - Experts are praising a chemical that may be more effective than nicotine when it comes to helping people quit smoking. Cytisine, found in seeds from the golden rain tree, is cheap and natural, but only sold in a few Eastern and Central European countries. Researchers are hoping to change that... More »

Kayaker Nabs Suspected Mail Thief

(Newser) - A fast-paddling good Samaritan in a kayak helped sheriff's deputies in Washington state nab a suspected Christmas mail thief. Police received multiple calls on Wednesday morning that a man and a woman were going through mailboxes around the town of Sammamish. While deputies were on their way, residents spotted... More »