Investigators have identified ground zero of the Secret Service scandal: a Colombian prostitute who got angry when two agents refused to pay her requested $40–$60 fee. All 11 men implicated in the scandal allegedly brought women back to their hotel rooms in Cartagena while on a trip with President Obama, and officials are still investigating whether there were other prostitutes involved. In more trouble for the agents, a report in the New York Post on Wednesday alleges that a staffer in the hotel found “a line of white powder, I believed to be cocaine.”

Both the Assad regime and antigovernment forces are blaming the other side for breaking a tenuous, five-day-old ceasefire agreement. Government troops bombarded several Syrian cities Tuesday, but say they were only responding to provocations and accused the rebels of trying to sabotage the fragile peace deal. The military also deployed attack helicopters to small villages around Mount Zawiya. Activist groups estimated somewhere between 16 and 50 deaths on Tuesday alone. Both Homs and Busra al-Harir, two strongholds of the rebels, were reportedly shelled by tanks.

Warren Buffett, 81, announced Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer, but that doctors say his condition is not life-threatening. In a letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Buffett wrote that he will undergo two months of daily radiation for treatment starting in mid-July, which will “restrict my travel during that period but will not otherwise change my daily routine.” Buffett added, “I feel great” and that he would let shareholders know if his health took a turn for the worse, but for now believes “that day is a long way off.”

Your move, Mr. President. North Korean officials threatened Tuesday to retaliate if the United States didn't stick with a plan to send 240,000 metric tons of food to the impoverished Asian nation. The Obama administration decided to scrap a Feb. 29 agreement to deliver the aid after North Korea went ahead with a rocket launch last week. One of the provisions of the prior arrangement was that North Korea halt its nuclear program. The United Nations condemned the rocket launch, which failed in spectacular fashion, and called on world leaders to increase sanctions against the Communist regime.

It took men and women to worlds that once lived only in the imagination, and on Tuesday the space shuttle Discovery took a piggyback ride on a Boeing 747 to its final home in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s annex in Virginia. The plane flew low enough so that those in Washington, D.C., could watch, with crowds at the Mall applauding, although the Mid-Atlantic AAA issued a warning to passing motorists not to “let anything—even a space shuttle flying overhead—distract you.” NASA retired its shuttle program last year.

For the second day in a row, it wasn’t good to be a member of the General Services Administration. Top officials were blasted by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday on Capitol Hill the day after it took a beating from another Congressional committee. A timeline released Tuesday showed that GSA executive Jeffrey Neely took five trips totaling 44 days, including a 17-day adventure to Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. “This is a dark day … for the U.S. government,” Rep. Jeff Denham said. The committee also revealed GSA interns took a five-day trip to Pal Springs—as a thank you from their bosses.

President Obama on Tuesday announced a proposed crackdown on oil companies manipulating the oil markets to raise gas prices—a move that Republicans immediately denounced as being political. Obama also called for more funding for government oversight. Under Obama’s proposal, civil penalties for firms involved in market manipulation would rise to $10 million from $1 million and  would be assessed for each day rather than on a per-violation basis. Maximum criminal penalties would rise to $10 million as well. Republicans said the White House’s proposal would only restrict oil production.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange may be under house arrest in Britain, but that doesn’t mean he can’t get in touch with the rest of the world. Assange debuted a talk show on Tuesday on RT, a Russian network created by Vladimir Putin and backed by the Kremlin. His first guest was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who spoke from a secret location in Lebanon, and the pair discussed a range of international issues, including Syria. Assange has described his talk show as "the world tomorrow." The show likely won't garner high ratings, but many see it as Assange's attempt to rehabilitate his image.

Three-day-old Keegan Schuchardt had been abducted from the parking lot of a pediatric clinic in Houston after his mother was shot dead during an altercation. But the boy has been found and police have taken into custody a “person of interest” in the crime. Keegan’s mother, 28-year-old Kala Marie Golden, had taken her son to the clinic for a checkup when she was approached by a woman who began to argue with her. The woman repeatedly shot Golden and then put Keegan in her car and drove off.

He may be the black sheep of his family, but one day Nelson the parrot will most likely be an attractive Kea parrot with olive-green feathers and an orange flash under his wings. But for now, Nelson is in the running to win the title of ugliest bird in the world, and is described as a cross between a roast chicken and an alien. (Could you do better?) Nelson’s parents abandoned him after his birth, leaving zookeepers at Bergzoo in Germany to care for him around the clock. He spent the first four weeks of his life in an incubator.

The case of Bo Xilai, the disgraced Communist party member in China, and his wife, Gu Kailai, who is suspected of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood, keeps getting stranger. New details are emerging about the night of Feb. 6, when Vice Mayor Wang Lijun showed up at the American consulate in Chengdu asking for asylum. Wang said he had information about corruption and murder, but American diplomats released him into Chinese custody after 36 hours. While no one has heard from Wang in two months, he is currently under investigation for discussing Chinese affairs.

It should be clear by now that if a presidential assassination threat or even a joke is made, the Secret Service will hear about it and they will immediately investigate the person who made it. So it's no surprise that Ted Nugent is now the subject of Secret Service interest after saying, at last weekend's NRA meeting, "If Barack Obama becomes president in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year."

British authorities arrested Abu Qatada, who allegedly raised money for terrorist groups and inspired a 9/11 hijacker. The arrest was the latest in a legal saga involving the U.K., the European Union, and Jordan, Qatada’s home country. Qatada was imprisoned in Britain for six years before his release in February; the European Court of Human Rights had blocked his deportation to Jordan on the grounds that he could be tried with evidence obtained through torture. The U.K. now says it will resume its efforts to deport him.

Play nice with the police officers, honey. A 6-year-old Georgia girl was handcuffed by police and taken to the station Tuesday after throwing furniture and knocking over a shelf at her school. Young Salecia Jonhson’s family is outraged, saying that the way police responded to the disturbance at Creekside Elementary School was way out of line. The police cited policy in support of their decision to handcuff the youngster and stick her in a holding cell. “Our policy states that any detainee transported to our station in a patrol vehicle is to be handcuffed in the back,” said Milledgeville Police Chief Dray Swicord. “There is no age discrimination on that rule.”

Now might be a good time to get out of the office—or call it a day. Some Gmail users are having difficulty accessing their email on Google’s hugely popular service. Gmail confirmed the technical difficulties on its Twitter feed, giving an update as of 1:31 EST that said the service “should be back for some of you already, and will be back for everyone soon.” Google issued a statement saying less than 2 percent of its users worldwide had been affected by the glitch, though it’s not entirely clear when the issue will be resolved or how many people are tearing their hair out because they can’t Gchat.

Argentina has announced a plan to nationalize its biggest oil company, YPF, taking control of 51 percent of the company that accounts for the country’s second-largest industry. The announcement sent shock waves through the international business community as the Argentines sought to gain more control over the energy it produces. YPF was previously controlled by Repsol, a Spanish corporation. Spanish officials were outraged by the move, saying that reactive measures would be announced later this week. It was a defiant move for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who said at the announcement, "I am a head of state and not a hoodlum.”

Eleven members of the Secret Service have had their security clearances stripped as the government launches a full probe into what went on in Cartagena, Colombia, last week. At least five agents are believed to have broken curfew and brought prostitutes back to their hotel prior to President Obama’s arrival at the Summit of the Americas. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey said the agents had “let their boss down” with their conduct. The agents are all said to have been interviewed at least once in the probe, and range in experience from a 20-year veteran to relative newcomers.

The next elections in Iraq might not be the relative success story of 2010, if the arrest of election official Faraj al-Haidari is any sign. Al-Haidari, the chief of the Independent Electoral Commission, was arrested on corruption charges Thursday and released this week. But the accusations—giving bonuses of $130 to five employees, in a country where billions are routinely given away in corrupt contracts—raises the concern that the arrest was a warning shot from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who has long sought to take control of the electoral commission.

Newt Gingrich can’t catch a break these days. Broke, bouncing checks, he seeks refuge in his favorite place, the zoo, only to be attacked by a Magellanic penguin. “He was nipped on the finger by a penguin,” zoo public-relations director Susan Gallagher said. “A Band-Aid took care of the injury.” Gingrich, who has made a point of visiting zoos during his campaign, and who wrote the foreword to America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans & Families, vowed to continue visiting zoos. “Newt is a zoo fan. He will be back,” said a spokesperson.

After an expensive primary spent backing dark-horse candidates like Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, the super PAC billionaires still have money to burn, and they’re spending it on Mitt Romney and the GOP establishment. Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul who bankrolled Gingrich, gave $5 million to a super PAC linked to John Boehner and is holding a fundraiser for a Boehner group. Foster Friess, Santorum’s former patron, says he intends to back Romney. Prominent Rick Perry funders also say they’ll give. All this may be contributing to the Romney campaign’s new fundraising goal: $800 million by November, for a total of $1 billion, plus another $200 million from super PACs.

The son of Bo Xilai, the Communist official charged with corruption, and Gu Kailai, accused of murdering a British businessman, had a taste for luxury that caused trouble for his parents. At Oxford, Bo Guagua had a reputation as a poor student who threw lavish parties, including one that Jackie Chan attended, and with a fondness for European sports cars, horses, and first-class travel. The British man allegedly murdered by Gu was her son’s mentor and supposedly helped him get into his English school. But now Bo Guagua’s antics have become yet another liability for his parents. His father was forced to answer questions about how a government salary could support such a lifestyle.

Ann Romney said Monday night on ABC that the family dog Seamus “loved” riding on the roof of their car back in the 80s. “The dog loved it,” Romney told Diane Sawyer. “He would see that crate and, you know, he would, like, go crazy because he was going with us on vacation.” Mitt Romney drew major criticism when he revealed that the dog traveled in a crate tied to their car. Mitt confirmed to Sawyer Monday night that the attacks regarding the dog were the most “wounding” so far on the campaign.

Anders Behring Breivik, the man accused of massacring 77 people, mostly teens, in Norway, took the stand to boast of his attack. “I have carried out the most spectacular and sophisticated attack on Europe since World War II,” Breivik told the court. “These acts are based on goodness, not evil.” He said he would do it all again. He added that he was toning down his remarks out of concern for the victims. The court must decide whether Breivik is criminally insane—there were two contradictory rulings before the trial. If found sane and guilty, he faces 21 years in prison, which could be extended.

Pippa Middleton seems to have taken her newfound royalty a little too seriously. Before being photographed in a car with a man brandishing a (possibly fake) pistol, she attended an extravagant 18th-century-theme party thrown by the designer Arthur de Soultrait. De Soultrait is pictured wearing a leather dog collar and chain while sitting on a gilded throne. Middleton and other guests cavort in the background. The Paris party was called Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Vicomte, or “The King Is Dead, Long Live the Viscount.”

Just because Rick Santorum is out of the presidential primary race, doesn’t mean he’s going to automatically endorse the presumptive Republican nominee. Monday evening the former Pennsylvania senator declined the opportunity to endorse Mitt Romney and to urge his supporters to vote one way or another. “As far as you vote, that’s up to you,” he said during a conference call. “I haven’t supported any candidate at this point, so that’s really up to you.” The thousands of supporters that called in to hear Santorum speak were asked to “push *0” to contribute to eliminating Rick’s campaign debt.

About 150 Afghan schoolgirls were poisoned on Tuesday in what officials said they are “100 percent sure” is the result of the girls’ drinking water that was contaminated as a deliberate attack on girls’ education. Officials said they knew the water had been poisoned because a larger tank used to fill the affected water jugs was not contaminated. The girls suffered from headaches and vomiting, and some were hospitalized and in critical condition.

Investigators said on Tuesday that up to 20 Secret Service agents may be involved in misconduct during President Obama’s trip to Colombia—and at least two are senior officials. Eleven Secret Service agents have already been put on leave after allegations that the president’s elite security detail had entertained prostitutes, and a preliminary review of video from hotel security cameras found nine military personnel were possibly involved. Meanwhile, ABC News reported that the Secret Service agents allegedly bragged while partying at the Prey Club in Cartagena on Wednesday that they “work for Obama” and “we’re here to protect him.”

So much for the ceasefire. Despite the U.N. observer mission now in the country, the Syrian regime widened shelling to another town, according to activists. After a brief lull when the ceasefire went into effect, the Syrian Army has been increasing attacks. At least 26 people were reportedly killed on Monday. French foreign minister Alain Juppé said on Tuesday that the tough international sanctions imposed on Damascus have cut its financial resources in half—and Juppé said the "ruling clan" of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been damaged.

It’s time to party like it’s—whatever year Instagram photos look like they’re from. The New York Post reports that cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger hit Las Vegas over the weekend in celebration of Facebook buying the photo-sharing application for $1 billion. The rich duo of 26-year-olds reportedly partied at the Wynn and Encore hotels, had dinner at Botero, were joined by DJs Deadmau5 and Avicii, and ended the night at 4 a.m. Yes, they took an Instagram of themselves.

Is Chelsea Clinton “horrible” on TV? One network executive described her as such to Buzzfeed in a piece that suggests Chelsea might be struggling to stay afloat at NBC. Chelsea’s publicists went for several rival networks to get her a TV gig, including ABC, CBS, and CNN. But her interviews were all reportedly lackluster. Indeed, she has suffered her fair share of criticism since she started, but she’s toughed it out, and other NBC insiders respect her attitude. Her spokesperson told Buzzfeed that NBC is “glad she’s a part of their team.”

That nothing bad happened was enough to send stocks shooting upward Tuesday in the US and Europe. The Dow Jones rose about 1.5 percent in afternoon trading, followed by similar gains in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Apple’s stock, which had hit a bit of a slump, saw a 4 percent recovery. Apart from the lack of disasters Monday, the market was reacting to a sale of Spanish government debt that was well-received by concerned investors.  Analysts also pointed to encouraging first-quarter earnings reports as a catalyst for the day of buying on the markets.

Just days after banning three top contenders from the presidential race, the military junta ruling Egypt rejected those candidates’ appeals to be allowed to participate in the country’s upcoming election. The shocking move tossed out the Muslim Brotherhood’s top candidate, as well as the former spy chief of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, and shattered voters’ hopes for a democratic election. Supporters of the candidates gathered outside the military commission’s headquarters to protest Tuesday.

So will that make Kanye West the First Husband of Glendale? RadarOnline.com posted a clip from this week’s upcoming episode of Khloe & Lamar in which Kim Kardashian tells her sister that she plans on running for the mayor of an L.A. suburb in five years. Why would she run for office in Glendale? “It’s like Armeniantown,” she says on the show, referring to the 50,000 (or 25 percent of the population) Armenian-Americans who live there. There’s one caveat: she has to buy a house in the city.

A new shrimplike species has been found in a gypsum cave in the Burton Flats area of southeastern New Mexico. The still-unnamed species of amphipod is about half an inch long, nearly translucent, and blind. Scientists discovered it in a subterranean pool about 80 feet below the surface. One cave specialist said, "You never know what you're going to find down there. One of the interesting things about this is these guys, these critters have been down there for tens of thousands of years, millions of years and we're just getting around to finding them."