The autism rate has risen 80 percent in a decade says the Washington Post. A new federal study has found that 1 in 88 children have symptoms of autism. Experts say it’s mostly thought to be rise in diagnosis rather than a rise in the true number of sufferers.

Megan Fox knows she’s a fox, says the New York Daily News this morning. Apparently, the actress told a French magazine that lives “well with her image.” Said the actress: “I would not trade my place with an unattractive girl.” Fox is expecting a child with her husband, actor Brian Austin Green.

The New York Times says a big Apple supplier has promised to improve manufacturing conditions at its factories in China. Foxconn, which makes over 40 percent of the world’s electronics, says it will “sharply curtail working hours and significantly increase wages,” a move that some think could improve working conditions across all of China.

The ex-Goldman Sachs employee who penned a scathing New York Times op-ed about his tenure at the investment firm has walked away with a sweet deal. After an intense bidding war, he secured a $1.5 million book advance to write a tell-all. The New York Post’s Keith Kelly says that’s about three times the annual salary he was making at Goldman.

Lindsay Lohan took her “final courtroom bow” yesterday reports the New York Post. A judge ended Lohan’s probation, stemming for her 2007 DUI charge. Looking sober and put together, the actress listened on smiling as the judge offered one last piece of advice: “The only terms left .. are to obey all laws — not that hard.”

What’s up with the weather? It was barely winter here. They had an unusually cold winter in Continental Europe. Is there a change that explains these swings? The New York Times has a possible explanation in today’s paper. One theory is that it’s the Arctic ice. Or more accurately the “lack of Arctic ice” in recent years.

Interesting story on the front page of the LA Times about the search for coconut pickers in India. Apparently, it’s getting harder and harder to find people willing to shimmy up trees to collect coconuts. So the Indian government is offering a $20,000 prize for the “best robotic coconut picker.” Three finalists remain, one that is fashioned after a giant praying mantis.

You’ve got a new car. Now you’ve got to figure it out how to use it. According to car dealers, customers are so baffled by the technology in their new car that they’re hiring people to teach customers how everything works. USA Today says Cadillac has even developed an app to explain the new technology featured in their cars.

Quaker Oats has slimmed down Larry. Larry, in case you didn’t know, is the man on the Quaker Oats packages. Since oatmeal wants to be part of a healthy diet, Quaker thought the plump man with a double chin wasn’t a good idea. They didn’t change him a lot, but the Wall Street Journal says the company shaved about 5 pounds off his appearance.

The Wall Street Journal puts together a great list of 25 frequent traveler tips in today’s paper. One of them is to lock a shoe in the hotel safe along with your valuables. Then when you go to put on your shoes before you leave you’ll remember to get the stuff out of the safe.

Hipsters, beware. The Washington Post says a controversy is brewing over suspects who don non-prescription eyeglasses in court to look more respectable. The paper says “personality glasses” have become quite a fad in the DC court system. Apparently, they’ve become a hot item for family members to deliver to suspects in custody before their trials.

It’s a step up from chattel—maybe. French newspaper Le Monde got ahold of Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s text message log (he’s being investigated for his involvement in a prostitution ring) and reported yesterday that, while planning orgies, he referred to his female guests as “luggage” or “equipment.” As in: “Do you want to (can you?) come to a great sexy nightclub in Madrid with me (and some equipment) on July 4?”

New surveillance video from a Florida police station shows Trayvon Martin’s shooter seemingly uninjured as he’s brought in after the shooting to answer questions. George Zimmerman initially told cops that he shot the 17-year-old boy out of self defense. The Orlando Sentinel says the police report described Zimmerman with a bloody nose and head, but that on the VIDEO he seems uninjured.

A new survey has found that more than half of American households—about 55 percent—have at least one Apple product. USA Today says the average household has 1.6 Apple devices, and 25 precent of the people questioned say they plan to buy another one in the coming year.

Hollywood is a tough town, even for those with nine lives. Vito Vincent was something of a celebrity back in New York says the LA Times. The “talented tabby cat” did some print ads, had a guest role on “30 Rock” and was a guest of Jon Stewart’s on “The Daily Show.” But the down-on-his-luck New York actor still hasn’t found work in Hollywood, after nearly a year. 

What if there was a way to warn drivers if they were drifting out of their lanes? Or about to hit something. Well, if you can afford a new Cadillac, there is. Several new models are rolling out with vibrating seats. If a driver veers left, the left side of the seat will start to shake. If you veer right, the right side goes off. GM says its new security system will help drivers correct themselves “without the embarrassment of pointing it out to everyone else in the car.”

Could Americans be mandated to buy broccoli? That was one of the exchanges that got attention in the Supreme Court health care case yesterday. The fear is that if the government can mandate health insurance, it’s a slippery slope before cars, or cell phones that dial 911, or broccoli are mandated too says USA Today. Justice Ginsburg answered those fears with this explanation: “The people who don’t participate in (the health insurance) market are making it much more expensive for the people who do.”

The New York Times has news about the SAT and ACT rule changes announced yesterday. This is in direct response to a cheating scandal on Long Island where high-scoring students were using fake IDs to take tests for other students. The big change is that students must upload a photo when they register to take either test, and then match that photo when they show up for the test.

The little dog has a pretty big name to live up to. Nothing’s been confirmed yet, but Beyoncé, the runt of a Dachshund mix’s litter, is on track to be named the world’s tiniest dog.  Beyoncé was just one ounce when she was born.  The Daily Mail has a picture of her sitting on an iPhone to give you a point of reference.

They may carry wands and cast spells but the characters in the Harry Potter series still couldn’t break into e-book market. Until now. The Wall Street Journal says electronic versions of all seven of JK Rowling’s books went on sale today. It took so long because Rowling kept the digital rights to her works when negotiating her publishing contracts.

The German town of Baumholder is about to change dramatically says the Washington Post. It’s turned into a slice of America—complete with Ford Mustangs cruising the streets—thanks to the adjacent US Army base. But the Pentagon announced last month that it will trim its troop presence by nearly one-fourth in Germany and other parts of Europe.

If today is your 34th birthday, I have some bad news. According to the New York Daily News, age 33 is when people are the happiest in their lives. A new survey has found that 33 is when “you’re old enough to not be naive but not so old that you have lost the desire to have fun.” Almost 70 percent of the interviewees over 40 said 33 was their best year.

Most people are interesting in Tiger Woods’ swing on the golf course. But not every one. The New York Post is reporting that three of Tiger’s “porn pals” have teamed up for a documentary-style “movie” that demonstrates his bedroom behavior. It’s slated for release the day after Woods tees off at the Masters.

“This is Your Captain Freaking.” The New York Post concisely summarizes a scary day for JetBlue passengers in one classic headline this morning. En route from New York to Las Vegas, one of the airline’s pilots lost it, and started stomping from one end of the plane to another, banging on the locked cockpit door screaming, “Bring it to idle. Bring it down to throttle. Iraq, Iran, Israel. We’re at war.” VIDEO

According to the New York Times, running barefoot is actually less efficient despite the weight of shoes. Researchers found that when barefoot runners and shod runners carried the same amount of weight on their feet, shoeless runners used 4 percent more energy. Apparently, the cushion of the shoe saves the legs from the effort it takes to absorb the energy of each stride.

The Chicago Tribune has an odd tale on its front page detailing how the gravestone of Lee Harvey Oswald went from a nightclub in Dallas to an attic in Forth Worth, and ended up on display at Historic Auto Attractions, a tiny museum in Roscoe, Illinois.

Don’t know if you knew, but Tiffany Brewer is 2012’s Extreme Huntress. That’s “akin to being named Miss America within the hunting community,” explains the San Jose Mercury News. Brewer, a nurse and an avid hunter , says she heard about the contest on Facebook but thought it was a…long shot. But thanks to a rousing online campaign she bagged the trophy.

Emily Leach was feeling generous while in line to check her lotto numbers. She’d already won $1 million earlier this year, from a lottery ticket she bought at the same store, so she decided to give the guy behind her $100. But she accidentally handed him one of her scratch-off tickets, which turned out to be a $260,000 winner. The man claimed the winning ticket, says the San Jose Mercury News, but now Leach wants her ticket back.

The Minneapolis St. Paul airport will soon start offering travelers an enticing amenity says the Star Tribune: snooze rooms. The by-the-hour “relaxation suites” will cost $30 an hour or $120 for an overnight stay. Airports in Atlanta and Philadelphia already have similar rooms, which come with a daybed, free Wi-Fi, a TV and a desk.

Are you a loud sneezer? The Wall Street Journal has a primer on how to lower the volume of your sneeze in today’s paper. Try coughing simultaneously or putting your finger at the base of your nose and pushing up slightly, which lessens the severity of a sneeze. Whatever you do, don’t plug your nose—medical journals have recorded everything from voice changes to bulging eyeballs to bladder incontinence after experimenting with that method.