Would-Be Robbers Return Wallet to Soldier

(NEWSER) - Thieves in Milwaukee knocked off a jewelry store yesterday—only to be robbed of the loot themselves as they made their getaway, the Journal Sentinel reports. Police say the two suspects were confronted and robbed by at least four men as they left the store. Cops managed to arrest the original robbers, plus two of the others, but the jewels and money have not been recovered. More»

Supreme Court judge faces robber in Caribbean home

(NEWSER) - A machete-wielding intruder robbed Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer at his Caribbean vacation home last week, the AP reports. Breyer, 73, his wife Joanna, and guests were surprised to see the robber in their house on the island of Nevis at about 9pm last Thursday. The robber snatched about $1,000 in cash and left without hurting anyone. No report of an arrest, but the crime was reported. More»

They want FCC, carriers to put safeguard in place

(NEWSER) - With smartphone robberies soaring, frustrated police are calling for regulators and service providers to shut down stolen phones remotely to reduce their value, reports the Washington Post . About 40% of robberies in Washington in 2011 involved smartphones, iPods, or tablets, while in New York City the figure was nearly 50%. “This is a national issue,” says the DC police chief, noting that the thefts have "clobbered" her department. “We have done all we can at the local level.” More»

New research award asks companies for a way to generate 'good' brown fat

(NEWSER) - The Army thinks its troops are getting too fat, and it's hoping to solve that problem with science. In its latest round of small-business research awards, the Army has asked companies to find a way to slim down its soldiers by injecting them with fat. Confused? Well, as Wired explains, your body has two kinds of fat cells, or adipose tissue: white adipose tissue, which is what we normally think of as fat, and brown adipose tissue, which helps you lose weight. More»

Defense chief outlines cuts for Pentagon

(AP) - The Pentagon outlined a plan today for slowing the growth of military spending, including cutting the size of the Army and Marine Corps, retiring older planes, and trimming war costs. It drew quick criticism from Republicans, signaling the difficulty of scaling back defense budgets in an election year. The changes Defense Secretary Leon Panetta described at a news conference are numerous but hardly dramatic. They aim to save money by delaying some big-ticket weapons like a next-generation nuclear-armed submarine, but the basic shape and structure of the military remains the same. More»