Charles Poladian

With the small near-Earth asteroid flyby on Feb. 15 and the meteor that broke apart over Russia on the same day, space objects crashing into Earth is a hot topic. To protect the earth, scientists have created a hypothetical asteroid defense system using lasers.

Christopher Dorner’s body has been positively identified according to several reports Thursday.

In the wake of the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 11, his health was cited as a major factor his stepping down. On Thursday, the Vatican admitted to keeping many papal secrets, including a previously undisclosed surgery and head injury.

Peter Dinklage will be in the cast of “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” director Bryan Singer tweeted Thursday, and fans are speculation about who he will play.

The small near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 flyby Friday may be one for the record books. There are many ways to watch the historic event online.

The 2013 Oscars will air on February 24 and to get you prepared for the big night, several filmmakers have released their nominated animated short films online for free. Fans can watch the five films nominated for Best Animated Short Film online and be part of the discussion of who should take home the Oscar.

The identity of Israel’s Prisoner X had been revealed as Ben Zygier on Australia’s “Foreign Correspondent” program and Israel has lifted a gag order to confirm his identity. Israel also revealed that Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister knew of Prison X’s existence as early as February 2010.

The manhunt for Christopher Dorner came to what many believe was an end on Tuesday after an afternoon shootout led to the former cop barricaded himself in a cabin. The cabin was soon on fire and police did report there was a body but many conspiracy theorists, using #TeamDorner believe he may still be alive.

The modern world may have forgotten the old ritual of courtship thanks to tools such as dating sites, social media, text messages, Skype and any other tool romantic hopefuls may use. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the courtship letters between Lyndon B. Johnson, before he was President and his wife Lady Bird have been released.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one busy actor but he managed to find some time to appear on “Sesame Street.” The actor, as well as director and writer, appeared on the children’s show in a segment with Murray and taught kids a new word in the process.

After a shootout and fire apparently ended the hunt for Christopher Dorner on Tuesday night, it was not clear if he was dead or if his body had been found.

President Barack Obama made gun violence a major point of his address and demanded that Congress allow votes, up or down, on his proposals.

Emphasizing the return of business to America in his address, Obama mentioned that Apple will once again build Mac computers in America.

Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast of the United States and thousands lost their homes and were without power for weeks. In the wake of the storm, Menchu de Luna Sanchez was a hero, helping to rescue 20 infants from New York University Langone Medical Center after the hospital lost power and will attend the State of the Union.

Cleopatra-Crowley Pendleton and Nathanial A. Pendleton Sr., the parents of Hadiya Pendleton, will attend the 2013 State of Union and will be seated inside First Lady Michelle Obama’s box. Hadiya was murdered on January 29, two weeks after singing at President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

The manhunt for fugitive ex-LAPD cop Christopher Dorner may have ended Tuesday afternoon in the mountains of Southern California, but the outcome is still unclear.

Christopher Dorner, the ex-cop and main suspect in the California shooting spree that led to four death, was cornered in a Big Bear cabin and after a shootout that left two officers wounded.

The movie theater is about to get awfully steamy. The latest buzzed about erotic novel, “Beautiful Bastard,” has a movie deal from Constantin Film and will join “50 Shades of Grey” into theaters in the near future.

The awkward yet hilarious interview has been made an art form by Zach Galifianakis in his “Between Two Ferns” series. Galifianakis is at it again as he interviews a series of 2013 Oscar hopefuls including Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and a “very special guest”.

Israel reportedly had a prisoner so secret that he was never referred to by name and any media reports of “Prisoner X” were immediately discredited. In an upcoming Australian program, the identity of Prisoner X is revealed as an Aussie citizen who was a Mossad agent.

With the surprising resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, a new pope will soon be picked. According to the “Petrus Romanus” prophecy, this pope will be the last and will bring the destruction of Rome as well as the apocalypse.

“The Walking Dead” returned to AMC following a mid-season break. Over 12 million viewers watched “The Suicide King” and it seems as the buzz will continue as the show winds down its third season.

Thomas Barrow has been himself in the center of numerous conflicts, most recently with his former conspirator Sarah O’Brien, and the one servant everyone loves to hate. On the most recent episode of “Downton Abbey,” season three episode six, Thomas’ sexuality has gotten him into trouble.

Mountain Dew is bringing soda to breakfast. The soda company hopes that the breakfast beverage will be a staple of the morning much like coffee, tea, eggs and toast. Kickstart will be “refreshing and energizing take on your morning routine” according to PepsiCo.

The 2013 Grammy Awards welcomed a new crop of winners that will no doubt be scrutinized and praised. While the televised Grammy Awards presentation gets the most attention, there were scores of winners at music’s biggest night and here is the playlist that features almost every single winner.

Google Inc.'s executive chairman can begin selling about 42 percent of his shares in the company this month under a stock-trading plan.

Winter storm Nemo is already wreaking havoc on the U.S. Northeast, forcing the cancellation of 4,000 flights. With heavy snow anticipated until Saturday, New York and Boston have both launched real-time snowplow trackers that will help residents deal with the expected blizzard conditions.

Rex Reed is the lead reviewer for a well-respected publication, but his review of “Identity Thief” is controversial for all the wrong reasons. Reed does not not bash a beloved movie but instead focuses on Melissa McCarthy's weight and appearance throughout the review.

A very large asteroid is set to fly by Earth on Feb. 15, one day after Valentine's Day. The asteroid will not hit Earth but will pass by incredibly close and could be a record for an asteroid of this size, NASA reported.