Autism Awareness Day Gets the Blues; Venezuela Requires ID Amid Food Shortages

April 2, 2014 — -- quicklist: 1

title: Cities to Light Up Blue for World Autism Awareness Day

text: Today is the seventh annual World Autism Awareness Day , flagged, as always, by the color blue. You might see a few more people in blue sweaters at the office today, or a cityscape of blue-lit buildings tonight in your hometown. More than 8,400 landmarks and buildings across 101 countries around the world, even the International Space Station, took part last year in the “Light It Up Blue” movement for autism awareness.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also delivered his annual message, with the help of some little members of the community of roughly 70 million people in the world who have autism.

media: 23156266

quicklist: 2

title: Venezuela Brings in Shopper ID System to Battle Food Shortage Crisis

text: In response to the recent food shortages in Venezuela, the government is now trying to track shoppers’ purchases with a new ID system to stop people from filling up their carts with subsidized groceries and then reselling them on the black market, the Guardian reports.

Venezuela imports most of its groceries and goods, but because of a shortage of U.S. dollars and the government’s efforts to control inflation, Venezuelans are having a tough time obtaining even staples like milk and toilet paper. A local consumer watchdog predicted that people without the new fingerprint registered ID cards might not be allowed to shop at state supermarkets soon.

A food shortage is just one of many problems plaguing the country, and a sore point for protesters who have been demonstrating against the government and the country's President Nicolás Maduro since February.

media: 23156450

quicklist: 3

title: Samuel L Jackson Performs 'Boy Meets World' Poetry Slam

text: Out of the many varied roles of Samuel L Jackson -- think roles in “Star Wars,” “Kill Bill,” “True Romance” the actor perhaps best demonstrated his diverse acting range Tuesday night with a poetry slam-esque rendition of “Boy Meets World,” in tribute to the ‘90s sitcom.

The shouty performance was made on Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show.” Watch and weep, Cory Matthews fans.

media: 23156545

quicklist: 4

title: ‘Lion King’ Cast Delivers Impromptu Performance on Plane

text: The Australian cast of "The Lion King" musical served some seriously surprised patrons on a plane from Brisbane to Sydney an awesome rendition of the song "Circle of Life" to go with their peanuts and soda.

The bewildered passengers were captured on video as cast members belted out the musical's perhaps best-known song.

media: 23156026

quicklist: 5

title: Teen Accepted by All 8 Ivy League Schools

text: A 17-year-old Long Island student's incredible scholarly efforts are the talk of the Internet.

Kwasi Enin is now facing a problem not many other kids his age are; where to go out of the eight Ivy League universities that offered him admission. He scored a 2,250 out of 2,400 on the SAT, ranking him in the top 2 percent of his class, Newsday reported.

The brainiac has been accepted into Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania AND Yale.

Enin hopes to study medicine, just like his parents, who are immigrants from Ghana.