Beetles & Beatles

(Newser) - The symbol of the royal honor John Lennon didn't want has been found forgotten in a royal vault, the Times of London reports. Lennon was awarded the Member of the British Empire honor in 1965—prompting some others to turn in theirs—but sent it back to the palace in 1969 as a peace protest. Beatles fans hope the plaque can now go to a museum. More »

(Newser) - In a revelation that will likely befuddle longtime Beatles fans, Paul McCartney claims he was the one who turned the band onto politics, the Times reports. Though McCartney was writing pop songs while activist John Lennon penned blatantly political tunes, as McCartney tells it in a Prospect magazine interview, it was he who met with pacifist Bertrand Russell in the 1960s and brought his anti-Vietnam message back to his bandmates. More »

(Newser) - Mark David Chapman told the parole board that he is ashamed of killing John Lennon, according to transcripts of the hearing released yesterday. "I feel now at 53 I have grown into a deeper understanding of what a human life is. I have changed a lot," he said in his failed bid, the AP reports. More »

(Newser) - A 1964 recording of the Beatles laughing too hard to finish a song is to be auctioned, reports the Daily Telegraph . The 30-minute tape captures the Fab Four repeatedly breaking down in giggling fits while trying to record the ballad "I'll Follow The Sun." The comical history tour is expected to fetch at least $20,000. More »

(Newser) - One of the world's biggest collections of cartoon art has found a new home at Ohio State University, the Wall Street Journal reports. "Beetle Bailey" creator Mort Walker amassed more than 200,000 pieces of cartoon art during his 7 decades in the business but had to move his National Cartoon Museum several times and eventually shut it for good in 2002. More »

(Newser) - The biggest infestation of mountain pine beetles in decades is devastating huge tracts of forest in the Western states, USA Today reports; forestry workers say the bugs are killing even more trees than the wildfires ravaging California's forests. The larvae consume the inner bark of trees, usually lodgepole pines, killing the tree—and creating fuel for more fires. More »

(Newser) - Officials in the Midwest are returning to a tried-and-true technique to fight invasive plants, the Chicago Tribune reports. Biological control uses natural enemies to rein in pests, and importing a tiny brown beetle in the 1990s brought under control a fast-spreading European weed, known as loosestrife, that was terrorizing agriculture. There are other enemies now—but scientists worry the approach could create other problems. More »

(AP) - BBC Radio today aired a long lost Beatles interview featuring John Lennon and Paul McCartney talking about the day they met and their songwriting partnership. The precious film sat forgotten for 44 years in a garage in south London until film fan Richard Jeffs realized a piece of pop history was contained inside. More »

(Newser) - Representatives of the Beatles' companies are meeting with video-game outfits to hash out the rights for possible Beatles-themed games. The reps are holding discussions with the makers of Guitar Hero and of Rock Band , the Financial Times reports. Analysts say that a deal might lead to more licensing of Beatles songs in other digital media. More »

(Newser) - As old vinyl gets hipper, Matthew Shepatin of Esquire charts the five most expensive albums in today's market: That’ll Be the Day/In Spite of All the Danger, The Quarrymen (1958): Features John, Paul, George, and some guys who aren't Ringo. Could sell for $200,000, if Paul would sell. Double Fantasy , John Lennon (1980): The one that Lennon signed for assassin Mark Chapman is worth $150,000. More »

(Newser) - Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney was awarded an honorary doctorate in music by Yale University yesterday during the 307th commencement at the Ivy League institution. The identities of recipients of honorary degrees are usually a closely guarded secret, but McCartney's presence on the Yale campus was impossible to keep under wraps, reports the Yale Daily News. More »