George Zimmerman Bail, Meteor Shower, Channing Tatum Strips: What’s Spiking (Friday)

The weekday report for the topics and people that are trending on
Yahoo! and across the Web for Friday April 20, 2012.

Research by Search editor Liz Streng

An unexpected apology came during a bail hearing in a controversial case. On the science front, a meteor shower will have stargazers out in full force. And Channing Tatum shows what he’s made of in a striptease movie. Get an eyeful of what’s rumbling online.

STANDOUT SPIKES

Zimmerman Bloody Head: People are taking a close look at photos that allegedly show George Zimmerman’s injuries in the altercation with Trayvon Martin in February, which left the teenager dead. Zimmerman told Martin’s family he was “sorry” for the shooting when he spoke at Friday’s bail hearing, where his bond was set at $150,000. Related searches: disingenuous (what Martin’s lawyer called the apology)
Meteor Shower: Get your telescopes out — The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks this weekend.
Magic Mike Trailer: A sneak peek of Steven Soderbergh’s movie debuted Thursday night, titillating audiences with scenes of Channing Tatum as an exotic dancer — the role’s based on the actor’s own experiences before he hit it big and experienced bromance with Jonah Hill.

NEWS & POLITICS

Bhoja Air: One of the Pakistani airline’s plane crashed near Islamabad, possibly killing all 127 passengers.
Depression Therapy: New Zealand researchers reported in the British Medical Journal that a computer game designed to “lift teenagers out of depression” can be as good as counseling.
Phlegm: File this under “G” for gross: A South Carolina McDonald’s employee was placed under arrest after two women found mucus in their sweet tea.

SCIENCE & NATURE

Gulf Seafood Concerns: Fish can get sores, and photos of afflicted fish are once again raising concerns about the long-term effects of the 2010 BP oil spill. Federal health officials still say the Gulf seafood on the market is “safe to eat.”
Cochineal: Coffee purveyor Starbucks will dump the extract from ground-up cochineal bugs, which was used as dye—and a source of protein, we venture to add—in its strawberry-flavored products.
David Lilienfeld: The 20-year-old died after a shark dragged him under the waves as he was body-boarding in the Indian Ocean. A documentary crew has been “accused of risking public safety by luring sharks in close to the shore for filming.”
Earth Day: Celebrate Mother Earth on Sunday, April 22.
Hypokalemia: A condition of excessive fluids, experts point to a New Zealand woman’s 2-gallon-a-day Coca-Cola habit as a contributing factor to her death. The soft-drink giant countered even water in excessive amounts can kill.
Keystone Pipeline: The company TransCanada Corp sent a report to Nebraska officials with alternative routes around environmentally sensitive areas for the proposed $7 billion Keystone XL oil pipeline.

BUSINESS & MONEY

Lamborghini Uru: Lamborghini released photos of the Urus SUV. The car debuted at the Beijing Auto Show and boasts a 600 horsepower crossover with 24-inch wheels. Lamborghini also built about 300 of the chunky LM002 SUVs, available from 1985 to 1992.
Rare Penny: A rare and experimental penny from 1792 was auctioned for $1.15 million.
Infoblox: Stock for the software and hardware provider stock jumped 41 percent in its New York Stock Exchange debut.

ENTERTAINMENT

LMFAO: The party-rock duo is feuding over money, may go their separate ways, and just got hit by a lawsuit from former managers.
Akb48: The commercial in which the popular Japanese all-girl band is passing around candy with their mouths is being criticized for “encouraging homosexuality.”
American Idol: Colton Dixon was eliminated, leaving two males and four females in the running.
Record Store Day: The day for audiophiles lands Saturday, April 21. Artists like Katy Perry, the Misfits, David Bowie, and Paul McCartney will release vinyl records to celebrate.

CELEBRITIES

Anna Chlumsky: The “My Girl” actress is back in the spotlight with the HBO show “Veep.” She plays chief of staff to the vice president, played by Julie Louis-Dreyfus.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: The actor will have a busy release year with “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Looper” (as a hitman whose target includes his future self), “Premium Rush” (in which he plays a bike messenger and tried not to die in real life filming the scenes), and his directorial debut “Don Jon’s Addiction” (which co-stars Tony Danza).
Gabrielle Union: The actress told Conan O’ Brien that she got banned from sitting courtside after heckling referees and players, including her boyfriend Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade.
Ted Nugent: The rocker cleared the air Friday with the Secret Service over colorful comments made last week about President Obama and his administration. The unapologetic Nugent said the meeting was “good, solid, professional” and no Colombian ladies were in sight. (OK, he didn’t say the latter.)

SPORTS

Honus Wagner: A New Jersey man bought a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card for $1.2 million in an online auction. Wagner was a shortstop, among the first Hall of Fame inductees, played with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was dubbed “The Flying Dutchman.” He won eight batting titles and hit a career .327.
Marian Hossa Injury: The Blackhawks player couldn’t make it back for Thursday’s game 4 against the Phoenix Coyotes and will probably not return to the series.
Bo Ryan: Wisconsin officials and coach Bo Ryan agreed to lift non-Big Ten transfer restrictions for freshman Jarrod Uthoff, after criticism when the freshman was barred from going to Marquette, Iowa State, Florida, or any Atlantic Coast Conference school.
Bruins: The Boston hockey team lost to the Washington Capitals 1-2 in last night’s playoff game.
Dwight Howard: The Orlando Magic’s center Dwight needs back surgery to fix a herniated disk and will not be able to play the rest of the season.
Jose Canseco: The 47-year-old tweeted about his one-year deal with independent league Worcester Tornadoes. His last MLB game was 11 years ago.
St Louis Blues: The Blues took game 4 from the San Jose Sharks last night, winning 2-1 in first-round playoffs. Game 5 is Saturday in St. Louis.

HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE WEB

What’s popular on Yahoo!, Twitter, Google Trends, CNN, BBC, Hollywood Reporter, and other sources.

Yahoo! News (popular)

The Verge (random headlines)

Twitter

Catch up with the latest Trending Now video

Interview with Ian Usher, The Man Who Sold His Life on eBay