the buzz log

A political wife speaks out for herself, a conservative radio host gets stiffed by the Brits, and a little boy finds dogs are indeed his best friends. From the stories that stirred a nation (and beyond), here are some of the latest in the Buzz Week in Review.

Pen Is Mightier Than Falling on the Sword
Long-suffering wife Elizabeth Edwards willingly stepped into the spotlight's glare, also known as the Oprah show, the day before her memoir, "Resilience," hit shelves. Husband John, who had twice sought top White House spots, was on hand to again admit his adultery with Rielle Hunter. The former presidential hopeful is under grand jury scrutiny to see if campaign funds were involved in the sordid matter, but the week's focus and Web searches were on his better half.

Elizabeth, who pulled in six times more online lookups than John, talked about her cancer, trying to trust again, and how she doesn't care about the results of any paternity test of Hunter's baby. (John Edwards has denied he fathered Hunter's child.) The feedback hasn't been all sympathetic—a former speechwriter sees the real loser as America's poor, on whose behalf the Edwards spoke until scandal drowned them out.

A Savage Rejection
Not that Michael Savage had made impetuous plans to see Big Ben, but the syndicated radio jock was shocked at making the list of 22 people banned from Britain. Michael Alan Weiner (his real name) was included with preachers, gang leaders, and others that British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith deemed hate-mongering extremists.

The radio host has gone on a media blitz demanding an apology, threatening an all-American lawsuit, and asking listeners to boycott the old mother country and her goods (except for British attorneys). English media also covered the uproar, with extensive profiles and Savage quotations, and the Financial Times stiffly called the whole thing "a further embarrassment" for the home secretary, "already under fire over expenses claims." If Smith goes, Savage listeners will surely hear it first.

Little Lost Boy, Found
Three-year-old Joshua Childers wandered out of his Missouri mobile home unbeknownest to his parents and into the forest, to go to grandma's house five miles away. His disappearance prompted a heart-sickening search involving search crews, volunteers, sonar equipment, and everything from horses to donkeys. But, it was two rescue dogs—not even part of the search—who sniffed out the boy in a ravine a half-mile away. Despite two days and nights, Childer's main signs of wear have been dehydration, scratches, ticks, and the loss of his diaper and a single shoe. The planned reward for dogs Bear and Little Bill from Childer's grateful grandmother: some big bones.

Also buzzing this week...

• The White House Military Office director resigned Friday over his role in the Air Force One flyover fiasco...
• One theory why LA Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez used a female fertility drug...
• Cell phone-only households surpass landline-lubbers for the first time.

   

Filed under: Politics, Missing Persons, Radio, Wrap Up

On Friday, St. Louis police found two missing boys in the apartment of a 41-year-old local named Michael Devlin. One of the kids, Ben Ownby, 13, disappeared earlier this month. The other, a 15-year-old named Shawn Hornbeck, had been lost for more than four years.

Within days, searches on the dual capture and discovery surged across the Web, pushing the alleged kidnapper into our top movers for the week and hoisting buzz on both boys. But it was Shawn in particular who seized the country's attention.

People from across the U.S. turned to Search for more on the teen's disappearance, the foundation his parents set up to find him, the news that he was found, and the website and blog devoted to his story. His lengthy captivity sparked searches for "stockholm syndrome" and roused queries for "elizabeth smart."

From there, searchers turned to the plight of lost kids everywhere. Buzz on "missing children" rose nearly 6,000% over the past seven days, while "missing persons resources" and "pictures of missing children" shot off the chart.

Now, investigators say Michael Devlin may be connected to the 1991 kidnapping of a young boy named Charles Arlin Henderson. As more comes to light, we're sure to see greater search spikes. In the meantime: Welcome back, Ben and Shawn.

Filed under: Crime, Missing Persons