the buzz log

Leading June's fastest moving searches, newsman Tim Russert's unexpected death triggered an astonishing outpouring online. His passing was followed by comedian and cultural commentator George Carlin.

The international soccer tournament besieged Search, while Tiger Woods bogged down Internet traffic during his knee-buckling win. Meanwhile, Gina Gershon moved from entertainer to newsmaker with the stroke of one Vanity Fair article and much political buzz.

In the entertainment world, "Battlestar Galactica" paused midway in its fourth and final season, but launched hysteria over actress Katee Sackhoff. Here are the terms that attracted searches and moved fast in the month of June. 

June searchers also followed Mother Nature's rampage as she turned from Asia to the American Midwest. Look-ups surged for "iowa dot" and towns under siege like Cedar Rapids (+5,799%), Waterloo (+1,355%), Ames (+806%), and others including Burlington, Coralville, Dubuque and Waverly. The reflex to blame climate change shifted to point to modern practices of depleting wetlands and other natural protections.

Another chapter of history closed when Senator Hillary Clinton ended her campaign to be the first female president, and Senator Barack Obama continued his quest to be the first biracial Commander in Chief. Another political figure making the top 500 terms—not Republican contender John McCain, but Michelle Obama, whose image revamp included an appearance on "The View."