Have you been wondering what to get that little girl who has graduated from her baby bikini or (faux) high heels? And maybe she's just too young—like maybe she's 6— for a padded bra or virgin bikini wax? Well, don't sweat: The makers of the Breast Milk Baby Doll are committed to making sure as many people as possible can buy their doll, which offers kids the experience of breastfeeding with the help of a doll and a "special flowered halter top which activates the dolls suckling mechanism." more ›

Another day, another twist in the ongoing deadly E. coli outbreak across Europe: first, everyone blamed Spain and their dirty cucumbers, but then, it looked like German bean sprouts were going to be culprit. Until today, when the test results came back and cleared the bean sprouts from wrongdoing. more ›

Deadly E. coli bacteria linked to contaminated cucumbers is claiming lives in Europe, where today a 16th victim was reported dead, including the first person outside of Germany. Over a thousand other patients across Europe are also reeling from the outbreak, which is one of the largest to ever hit the continent. more ›

Based on apparent signs that Al Qaeda is looking to attack European cities, the State Department issued a warning to U.S. citizens in Europe today, telling them to be aware "of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure." more ›

The U.S. stock markets fell this morning, due to ongoing concerns about the European debt crisis and the conflict between North Korea and South Korea. Bloomberg News reports, "Stocks plunged from Tokyo to London and New York, dragging the MSCI World Index to a nine-month low, and commodities slid as concern grew that Spain’s ailing banks signal a widening debt crisis and as tension mounted on the Korean peninsula... The MSCI gauge of 23 developed nations’ stocks fell 2.9 percent at 10:55 a.m. in New York to the lowest intraday level since August." more ›

The Dow Jones lost nearly 1,000 points (8+%) at one point during trading this afternoon, before recovering a little (the Dow is now down 510 points). CNBC reports, "One trader, on the condition of anonymity, said he heard fixed income desks in Europe shut down early because there was no liquidity — basically European banks are halting lending right now. 'This is similar to what took place pre-Lehman Brothers,' the trader said." The Wall Street Journal says, "Investors fled everything from stocks and risky bonds and poured money into safe assets such as U.S. Treasurys... 'It's getting pretty ugly out there very fast,' Guy Lebas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott. 'There are definitely some major concerns that are escalating this afternoon.'" more ›

With volcanic ash from a volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier continuing to pose air travel problems to and from much of Europe, it was inevitable that con artists would target weary travelers stranded in airports. The Post, which said that much of JFK Airport's Terminal 4 had become a "cot city" yesterday, reports today that two Czech citizens were approached by a stranger who "offered them a hotel room and transportation to get there -- all for $55. When the two men arrived at the hotel, they found it fully booked and the stranger gone -- then they had to pay another $50 to get back to the airport." more ›

Travelers to and from Europe were stranded as ash from an Icelandic volcano continued to cause problems in Europe's airspace. BBC News reports, "Flights across much of Europe will be severely disrupted well into Saturday because of drifting ash ejected from a volcano in Iceland, officials said. Much of the airspace across northern and western Europe has been closed, and air control officials said some 17,000 flights would be cancelled on Friday." Now it's questionable whether President Obama and other world leaders can fly to the funeral of Polish president Lech Kaczynski. more ›

The Daily News reports that, after studying about the Holocaust, nine black and Latino students at High School for Law Advocacy and Community Justice are raising money for a European tour of death camps and other WWII spots. One sophomore told the News she used to laugh at Hasidic Jews on the subway, but no more: "I learned about the Holocaust and I know what they went through... I never made fun of Jews again." Their teacher added, "Our students are inner-city minorities... For them to see the oppression of other groups, especially a white group, it is an eye-opener for them." They still need to raise $17,000 by March 15. more ›

Check out the lipstick on this pig factory farm cow: McDonald's Corp. spokeswoman Danya Proud says this McDonald's location on Sixth Avenue between 14th and 15th streets is the first in the nation to get a so-called "urban redesign." It has free Wi-Fi and laptop outlets, upholstered vinyl chairs instead of seats bolted to the floor, subdued lighting, and all-black uniforms for employees. The metrosexual look is, naturally, de rigueur in Europe, but like something out of another world for us boorish Americans. One customer tells the Associated Press it's "beautiful" and more "like a lounge"—but with the same revolting "food." more ›

The existence of dedicated bike lanes are a sought-after city feature by New York's cyclists; but even when they appear they're often blocked by delivery trucks and drivers who remain oblivious to their existence. While Mayor Bloomberg has attempted to discourage drivers--or cash in on them--in the city with congestion pricing, the mere existence of bike lanes apparently does little to prevent drivers from owning the roads. The Times looks into the conundrum of bike lane non-compliance today.

Although city regulations forbid cars from blocking bike lanes — a violation that carries a $115 fine — those rules are routinely ignored by drivers who use the lanes as parking spots, loading zones and places to pick up passengers. Such maneuvers have enraged cyclists who say they are unlawful, rude and dangerous.