The Chicago Cubs winning the 2012 World Series is too far fetched even for the science fiction writers on NBC’s new show “Revolution,” says the Tribune. When excerpts from the show were first leaked 4 months ago, there was a still of the Wrigley Field marquee bearing the decree “2012 World Series champions.” But when the show debuted this week, the marquee had been stripped of its improbable declaration.

The iPhone 5 reviews are in. In USA Today, Ed Baig says it will “keep Apple at the front of the smartphone pack,” while Walt Mossberg airs a minor gripe in the Wall Street Journal, pointing out that the phone’s larger size means most apps won’t fill the entire screen until an update happens. (They still work.) I thought the New York Times’ David Pogue had the most straight-forward review. He calls it a great phone but notes that changing the connector is going to anger a lot of people.

The Washington Post weighs in on Mitt Romney’s recent misstep this morning with the front-page headline: GOP Nominee Must Find His Feet Quickly. The article goes on to say the challenge Romney faces is two-fold—he must steer the conversation back to the economy and “prevent his recent difficulties from curdling into a perception that the race is becoming unwinnable.”

The Wall Street Journal has taken what Mitt Romney was saying in his now infamous video appearance and re-written it in a way that isn’t insulting or cruel. It starts out like this: “I want Americans to be less dependent on government not because it costs too much. We will always help Americans who need our help. I want Americans to be independent so they can realize the pride of accomplishment and the dignity of work and contribute their God-given talents to build a better country.”

This spring, ten Texas high school students won a scholarship contest to help pay for their college tuition. They each received one of those big Ed McMahon-style checks for $2,000. The problem is, says the Houston Chronicle, that the winners never received actual checks from the contest’s sponsor. And the bank doesn’t accept huge cardboard ones.

The LA Times incredulously puts a photo of a tiny Manhattan apartment on its front page this morning. Measuring in at 275 square feet—that’s including the bathroom and kitchen—the micro-studio is an example of what New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to build around the city in an attempt to offer more affordable living spaces for singles.

Is 25 percent the new 20 percent? The New York Post says that’s the opinion of some New York waiters. And consumers don’t seem to mind the price hike. A recent analysis of 9,000 credit card receipts from a restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY found that 37 percent of diners left more than a 20 percent tip.

Disturbing details from a California murder trial in today’s LA Times. Jurors heard a tape of Chef David Viens telling detectives how he “slow cooked” his wife’s body for four days after allegedly killing her. He told the detectives he thought the perfect way to dispose of her body would be to cook it down and then throw out whatever was remaining with the kitchen grease from his restaurant.

What do alligators like to eat—besides people’s unattended dogs? Dog biscuits, it turns out. The Sun Sentinel says an airboat captain is facing up to 60 days in jail after he was busted by undercover wildlife officials for trying to lure a gator to the surface for the tourists in his boat. It’s apparently common for boat captains to offer up treats—anything from marshmallows to live fish to dog biscuits—in order to give their customers what they came to see.