Talk about defending your man! Dottie Sandusky took the stand as a witness for the defense in Jerry Sandusky’s sex-abuse trial Tuesday. She testified that she never saw inappropriate conduct between her husband and his alleged victims, but also admitted she couldn’t think of a reason why the alleged victims would lie about the abuse. Sandusky's wife described alleged Victim 1 as “demanding and conniving” and described another alleged victim as “very clingy.” She also described an incident where she witnessed her husband reprimanding a young player for failing to attend a luncheon. “He was yelling. I know Jerry was mad the way he looked,” she said. The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant football coach is charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse against 10 boys over a 15-year period.

Reports swirled around the health of disgraced Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday, with sources initially saying that he was "clinically dead." Conflicting reports later said that he was on life support, but not dead, listing him in critical condition. The 84-year-old Mubarak was sent to the military hospital in Cairo on Tuesday after having a heart attack and a stroke, according to state media and military officials. Mubarak was given a life sentence in June for complicity in the killing of protesters during last year's Arab Spring uprisings. Reuters reported that sources, including one in the hospital, told the news agency that Mubarak's doctors had declared him clinically dead. The Washington Post reported that Mubarak's lawyer said the former leader was not dead. CNN cited a member of the ruling military council as saying that Mubarak is "not clinically dead" but that he is "in critical condition." Hundreds of thousands of protesters had gathered earlier in the day in Tahrir Square to voice opposition to military rule, the news of Mubarak's condition (as it changed) sending waves of reaction through the crowd.

Marco Rubio is in the VP running after all. A report by ABC News earlier on Tuesday stated that the U.S. senator from Florida had not been contacted by Mitt Romney’s team for a shot at his right-hand position. Speaking to reporters in Michigan, Romney laid the speculation to rest, saying the Florida senator is being “thoroughly vetted.” The ABC report relied on unnamed sources for the information, which Romney ridiculed as “entirely false.” But Rubio may not play ball even if the presumptive nominee wants him on the ticket. Rubio has repeatedly denied any interest in running for the White House with Romney.

In his speech at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, President Obama stressed the need to deal with the debt crisis, saying European leaders grasp the seriousness of the situation and are moving with a heightened sense of urgency. He also mentioned that the European economic crisis won’t be solved by either the G20 or the U.S., but he welcomes the idea of banking consolidation in Europe. Obama also touched on the need to intervene in Syria’s growing humanitarian crisis, and singled out China and Russia for being resistant to forcing Bashar al-Assad’s hand.

Some racehorses may be getting an extra kick from a potent frog extract that helps them run faster. In the past week, more than 40 horses have tested positive for a substance called “frog juice,” which contains a painkiller more powerful than morphine. So far no trainers have been formally charged for giving their horses the drug, but racing insiders say they expect a crackdown on the slime soon enough. Experts suspect horse owners have been paying chemists to extract the chemical, known as dermorphin, from the skin of a particular South American breed. “That would be an awful lot of frogs that would have to be squeezed,” Dr. Steven Barker told reporters. “There are a lot of unemployed chemists out there.”

Ecuador has said that Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, has sought out asylum at the South American country’s embassy in London, according to the Associated Press. A week ago Assange lost a bid in Britain’s highest court to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he is to be questioned on sex-crime allegations. Reuters reported that Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Pinto told reporters that “Ecuador is studying and analyzing the request.” The controversial Assange has waged a legal war in Britain’s courts for about two years to be allowed to stay in the country, even as his website has continued to publish sensitive documents.

President Obama asserted his executive privilege over a document sought by the House committee investigating the botched “Fast and Furious” gun-running sting—a move that came as the House is set to vote on a contempt measure against Attorney General Eric Holder in the investigation. Rep. Darrell Issa, who is leading the charge, claims that Holder has not handed over enough documents relating to the Fast and Furious scandal, which provided guns to Mexican cartels. Holder claimed he made an extraordinary offer, which Issa rejected. But Issa claimed otherwise.

Hollywood values youth, so it should come as no surprise that 22-year-old Kristen Stewart tops the Forbes list of highest paid actresses for 2012. Stewart, who has starred in the blockbuster Twilight series, raked in $34.5 million between May 2011 and May 2012, according to Forbes. She beat out Cameron Diaz, who took home $34 million, and Sandra Bullock, who made $25 million. Stewart is the youngest person to make the list by 16 years. Last year, she tied for fifth with Julia Roberts.

Police released the 911 call made by Cynthia Kelly on Sunday morning reporting her fiancé, Rodney King, had fallen into a pool. At one point on the tape, Kelley tells the 911 operator, “He’s Rodney King. The guy that got beat by the police.” When the operator asked if Kelley could go in the pool to move King’s body, she replies that she can’t swim, adding that she tried, but failed to retrieve King with objects around the pool—including a shovel. Later, she told police that King was banging on the window around 5 a.m., before she heard him fall into the pool. She also said that King had been drinking and smoking marijuana before he died.

And it wasn’t even his move in Words With Friends. Actor Alec Baldwin punched a photographer today after he snapped the actor’s picture outside the New York City Marriage License Bureau. Baldwin, 54, appeared to be getting a license to wed his fiancée and former yoga instructor, Hilaria Thomas, when a Daily News photographer snapped Baldwin’s picture. “He was looking mad,” said Santos. “He said, ‘Step back, step back.’ I said, ‘We’re moving back.’” Baldwin then grabbed a second photographer and Santos told him to step back before the 30 Rock star socked him once in the jaw. According to eyewitnesses, Baldwin stormed off without saying a word. Since then, Baldwin has tweeted repeatedly about the incident, taking aim at Daily News editor Colin Myler and writing, "I suppose if the offending paparazzi was wearing a hoodie and I shot him, it would all blow over ..."

Actor Johnny Depp has split with Vanessa Paradis, his partner of 14 years with whom he had two children, his publicist said in a statement Tuesday. The two seem to have drifted apart in recent years, and haven’t walked the red carpet together in at least a year, sparking rumors of a souring relationship. “Please respect their privacy, and more importantly, the privacy of their children,” the statement read. Depp and the 39-year-old French actress began seeing each other in 1998 after meeting in Paris. In a recent interview with a French magazine, Depp said that living with his family has “given me everything.”

Is the Romney campaign holding out for Julia Louis-Dreyfus? ABC News reported on Tuesday that Florida’s superstar Republican Sen. Marco Rubio has not been approached by Mitt Romney’s campaign as a vice-presidential candidate—two months after Romney nominated Beth Myers to run his vice-presidential search. Sources said that Rubio has not been asked to complete any questionnaires or turn over any financial documents usually required for candidates in the running for the nomination. The Romney campaign officially has no comment, and Rubio has so far refused to make any comment.

Somebody get this guy a milk carton. Troubled actor Nick Stahl is missing for the second time in two months, according to his wife Rose Murphy. The former child actor was also missing for several days last May before reappearing to announce he was checking into rehab. Stahl left rehab last week against doctor's orders, and hasn't been seen since Thursday night. "He's been missing for four days," his wife confirmed. An insider said hasn't contacted anyone since, and all his friends are "desperately looking for him." The HBO Carnivale star was last seen walking around Skid Row in Los Angeles.

Microsoft is finally ready to take on the iPad. The company unveiled its new Surface tablet at an event in Los Angeles on Monday. The Surface has a 10.6-inch HD screen and weighs just 1.8 lbs. The device has a fully integrated kickstand. Also available for the Surface is a magnetically connected case, just like the iPad, except this case includes a built-in multitouch keyboard. The device will also come with a pen interface.

The Web-based music service Spotify announced on Tuesday that it is launching a free radio feature in the U.S. to compete with Pandora media, allowing users to create a free radio “service” by selecting artists, genres, or playlists. The London-based company is hoping users will turn into paying subscribers. Spotify’s ad-supported radio function became available on Tuesday for iPads and iPhones, and paying users of Spotify will be able to listen to the service without the ads. While Pandora has a larger audience, Spotify has content deals with Sony Corp., Universal Music, EMI Group, and Warner Music Group.

An autopsy was performed on Rodney King’s body on Monday as part of the investigation into his death. The results will not be made public until medical examiners have results from a toxicology test and tissue studies, which may take up to eight weeks, officials said. Police have found no evidence of foul play and are investigating King’s death as an accidental drowning. A police spokesman said, "At the time the detectives arrived on scene and responding officers arrived, there was nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing to indicate to us that alcohol or drug use had been a factor."

Get ready to bark and pump your fists like it’s 1991: comedian Arsenio Hall is returning to late-night TV with a new talk show next fall. More than 20 years after his self-titled show debuted and attracted a younger audience to late-night TV, Hall is partnering with CBS Distribution and Tribune Company to try and steal back the spotlight from former competitors Jay Leno and David Letterman. His show peaked in 1992, when he booked then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton to play “Heartbreak Hotel” on the saxophone, and went off the air in 1994. But at 56, Hall may still have what it takes, having recently been crowned winner of Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. His new show will be broadcast in roughly half the homes in the U.S.

Colorado’s High Park fire spread to 58,770 acres late Monday night, but officials expressed optimism as winds calmed down. Residents breathed a sigh of relief as the predicted high temperatures and gusty winds never showed up, and the fire remained at 50 percent contained. The fire has claimed 189 residences since lightning sparked the blaze 10 days ago. Hundreds have been evacuated from their homes, mainly in the Fort Collins area, and officials said this is the second-largest wildfire in Colorado’s history.

President Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday jointly called for peace in Syria, but Putin refused to support the U.S. efforts to persuade Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power. Two Russian warships are expected to set sail for Syria on a mission to protect Russian citizens and Tartus, the nation’s base there, Russian media reported on Tuesday. The BBC reported Tuesday that the UK had blocked a Syria-bound cargo vessel near Scotland that was carrying Russian-made helicopters. But the violence continued in Syria, as activists said 94 people were killed on Monday, including 63 civilians, three Army deserters, and 28 government troops. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported bombardment of the rebel stronghold Rastan on Tuesday.

President Obama might take a clue that he is not popular in the mountain state. First 40 percent of West Virginia Democrats supported a felon over Obama, and now three top Democratic leaders running for reelection announced on Monday that they will skip the Democratic National Convention in September. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, Sen. Joe Manchin, and Rep. Nick Rahall will not be part of the delegation to formally vote to renominate Obama—possibly due to pressure from their Republican challengers, who have called for them to publicly support Obama, who is unpopular in the state. On Monday, Tomblin’s campaign said he had “serious problems” with both President Obama and Mitt Romney, and he said he felt his time was “best spent” in West Virginia during the four-day convention—an excuse the other two also used. A recent poll shows Romney has a 17-point lead over Obama in West Virginia.

A United Nations investigator on Tuesday called on Washington to justify its policy of killing al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, rather than capturing them, at the risk of harming civilians. Christof Heynes urged the U.S. to clarify its basis for using the killings—especially the unmanned drone attacks—under international law. “Although figures vary widely with regard to drone attack estimates, all studies concur on one important point: there has been a dramatic increase in their use over the past three years,” Heynes said in the 28-page report. The U.S. has conducted drone attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Pakistan—where drone attacks have been the source of tension between the two countries. The 47-member Human Rights Council will hold a debate on the issue on Tuesday.

So far this year the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has raised $96.75 million—its Republican counterpart has taken in only $86.62 million. Although the DCCC brought in slightly more in May ($6.68 million) than in April ($6.48 million), the Republicans were not far behind in May, raking in $6 million. Though the DCCC has raised more this cycle, the NRCC has more cash readily available: $33.5 million compared with the Democrats’ $27.5 million. The DCCC is vigorously campaigning to reverse the Republicans’ 25-seat House majority.

More ominous news out of Europe. As the G20 summit started in Mexico, leaders expressed concern over the mushrooming debt crisis in Europe—while fears over Spain’s financial health grew after the news that the country’s borrowing costs soared. Spain paid just over 2 percentage points more in interest rates on Tuesday, an especially worrisome sign just before its bond auction on Thursday. Meanwhile, European Union commission Jose Manuel Barroso said on Monday that the crisis had not “originated in Europe” but rather by “unorthodox practices” by U.S. banks. In Greece, a coalition government is expected to be formed on Tuesday between the conservatives and the Socialists, as the new government hopes to negotiate a less severe bailout deal.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday disqualified Prime Minister Raza Gilani from holding office, two months after finding him in contempt of court. The Supreme Court found Gilani guilty of failing to pursue corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari in April, but gave him only a token sentence and spared him jail time. Pakistan’s governing People’s Party is reportedly in an emergency session to discuss possible solutions.

The more things change, the more they stay the same in Egypt. Ahmed Shafiq, the man whom Hosni Mubarak appointed as prime minister during Egypt’s tumultuous revolution last year, declared himself the winner in the country’s presidential race. Ahmed Sarhan, a spokesman for Shafiq, said in a press conference that Shafiq captured 51.5 percent of the vote and claimed that the Mohamed Morsi’s victory claim was “false.” The official result of the vote will be announced Thursday. Meanwhile, crowds gathered in Tahrir Square, and the city braced for more protests throughout the day.

Former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi was released from jail on Tuesday, after serving 20 days of a 30-day sentence stemming from charges that he allegedly used a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, and another man having sex. Ravi knocked 10 days off his sentence for good behavior. He had faced up to 10 years in prison for bias-intimidation charges stemming from the webcam incident, which resulted in Clementi committing suicide. Federal immigration authorities said on Monday that they will not move to deport Ravi, who was born in India.

President Obama has been accused of making swift moves on immigration simply to win over the massive and influential Latino vote. But, according to a new Pew Research Center survey, Hispanics aren't even the biggest immigrant group in the U.S. anymore! It's Asians. Approximately 430,000 Asian immigrants made their way to the United States in 2010, making up 36 percent of the new immigrant population compared with Hispanics' 31 percent. Asian-Americans are generally Democratic leaning, and 54 percent of Asian-American voters surveyed said they approve of President Obama's performance—that's 10 percent more approval than he's getting from the general population these days. 

Time for Britain to get used to seeing more red. Walgreen Co., the U.S.’s largest drugstore chain, announced Tuesday that it will pay $6.7 billion for a 45 percent ownership stake in the British drugstore chain Alliance Boots. Walgreen will have the option to buy the remaining 55 percent within three years. The company will pay $4 billion in cash and the remainder in stock, according to a statement. Alliance Boots was bought in 2007 by KKR & Co. and chairman Stefano Pessina in a £12.1 billion bailout.

Can Adidas kick it? The footwear company pulled a line of sneakers equipped with plastic ankle-cuff ‘shackles’ joined to the shoes by a short chain. The shoe drew criticism for its resemblance to equipment used to restrain slaves. Adidas at first defended the shoes, saying they were not an intentional allusion to any form of compulsory labor. “Any suggestion that this is linked to slavery is untruthful,” the company said in a statement defending the design by Jeremy Scott. Yet hours later, the company was saying it would nix the kicks. Adidas still stands by the design, in a statement calling it “Jeremy Scott’s outrageous and unique take on fashion.”

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was back for round two on Tuesday, defending his company's $2 billion trading loss before Congress. The House Committee on Financial Services has been tough on Dimon this week. “Is gambling investing?” Rep. Gary Ackerman asked Dimon. "We don’t gamble. We do make mistakes,” Dimon replied. Dimon also said he was "dead wrong" when he dismissed reports about trading losses as a "tempest in a teapot." The executive was less humble when it came to his opinion of global economic regulation. "To a hammer, everything is a nail," Dimon said. "You guys can do what you want." 


Jerry Sandusky’s defense revealed a new play on Tuesday, asking investigators questions that took aim at what details law enforcement may or may not have shared in their interviews with the former coach’s accusers. Sandusky attorney Joe Amendola went after two investigators for the state police, asking about whether or not they had told accusers about others who had made allegations of abuse against the former Nittany Lions legend.  “In some of our interviews … we did tell them,” Cpl. Joseph Leiter, a retired investigator, testified on Tuesday. “Each of these accusers was very, very seriously injured, and very concerned, and we had told them … that they wouldn’t be alone, that there were others.”