Weekend Wrap-Up: Stepdown Shakiness and Flying Twisters

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Good morning, NewsFeeders! We hope your Easter was hopping. Here’s what you missed this weekend while you were chowing down on some delicious Easter ham.

Saleh’s Stepdown Shakiness

The autocrats of the Middle East are facing intense scrutiny. As of Saturday it appeared Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh was joining the ranks of Ben Ali and Mubarak – that is, a former leader. He reportedly agreed to a severance package of sorts that would result in his stepping down within 30 days, in exchange for diplomatic immunity for any crimes he may have committed during his people’s bloody revolt over the past two months. But the stepdown would be tightly controlled and completely under Saleh’s watch: he will hand power to the vice president who will then hold elections. But protesters say they’ve heard the same song and dance before from their government – why should they trust the 32-year leader now? (via TIME, BBC)

Twister Tears Up St. Louis

Recent tornadoes across the heartland have leveled homes and ripped up fields, but one Friday evening twister took a dangerous detour. St. Louis’ Lambert Airport found itself in the path of the tornado as it rolled through, shattering the airport’s massive plate glass windows and ripping the roof off Terminal C. While the airport was closed “indefinitely” in the wake of the storm, as of Monday morning flights were coming in and out with Lambert expected to return to full capacity by midweek. (via AP, KSDK)

Rockstar Guru Dies

Hindu guru Sathya Sai Baba passed away Sunday at age 84. Baba was a celebrity healer in India, said to have performed numerous miracles for his people after claiming he was a reincarnation of another Hindu holy man. Beneath the wily hairdo was a spiritual leader, whom many considered a god. His largest legacy is a nearly $9 billion trust fund set up by his followers which hangs in the balance following his death. (via AP)

Monday Must-Read

Does Anyone Want to be “Well-Read?”
The gist of this piece: Roger Ebert lays out your reading list from now till death. He reflects on the death of reading – and he means actual classic literature. He offers some of his favorites up, but is careful to note that he’s not forcing his opinions on us, a fact he was always careful to point out as a movie reviewer, too. Ebert appears to simply be offering suggestions of readers who can inspire and challenge us with their work, even if it’s centuries old.

In Case You Missed It On NewsFeed

Talk About Exclusive: 15 High-Profile Royal Wedding Guests
Have you heard? There’s a little wedding going on this Friday. Didn’t receive your invite? Neither did we. But the Royal Wedding planners released part the official guest list Saturday, revealing a taste of the 1,900 folks that will be watching in person as Wills and Kate tie the knot. See the star-studded list – and why they probably received an invite instead of you.

Viral Video

Cookie the penguin looks utterly out of place traipsing through the halls of a modern building. Where’s the ice and his cute penguin friends? But this video cements it: next time NewsFeed can get close enough to a penguin, we’re totally tickling him.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wTWWjYTe1I&w=450]