Florida pooch is no shark snack

Critters

Jake, a 14-pound rat terrier, is recovering after a Florida Keys carpenter dove in to save his pet from a shark. Greg LeNoir said he took Jake for his daily swim at a marina in Islamorada on Friday. A 5-foot shark suddenly surfaced and grabbed the dog, LeNoir said. He said he yelled, balled up his fists and dove headfirst into the water. He hit the shark in the back and the creature let go of the dog. Man and dog made it safely back to shore.

People

Colbert joins Spidey

Stephen Colbert's presidential bid was never serious stuff in the real world, but in the pages of Marvel Comics, the Comedy Central parodist's campaign is alive and well. In the upcoming issue No. 573 of "The Amazing Spider-Man," candidate Colbert will meet the world-famous web slinger and swing from the rooftops of Manhattan with the hero, according to a page of preview art released by Marvel. Colbert campaign signs and logos have been popping up in the background of Marvel Comics stories since the company's editor in chief, Joe Quesada, appeared on "The Colbert Report" in January and announced a plan to weave Colbert's White House bid into the superhero universe.

Palin's parents like Fey

Chuck and Sally Heath, the parents of GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, bear no ill will toward Tina Fey, who on Saturday again brilliantly impersonated the candidate on "Saturday Night Live." Dad Chuck Heath was tickled pink. "I thought it was kind of cute," he told Harry Smith on Tuesday on "The Early Show." "Tina Fey did a good job!"

Passages

Oliver Kaufman Crawford, 91, who overcame the "Red Scare" blacklist of the 1950s to become one of television's most successful writers, died last Wednesday. Mr. Crawford wrote for such shows as "Star Trek," "Bonanza," "Perry Mason" and "Kraft Television Theatre."

Today in History

1800: Spain ceded Louisiana to France in a secret treaty.

1908: Henry Ford introduced his Model T automobile to the market.

1958: The American Express charge card made its official debut.

1964: The Free Speech Movement was launched at the University of California, Berkeley.

1971: Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Fla.

2003: Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh resigned from his ESPN sports job after stirring controversy by suggesting Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

Today's Birthdays

Actor James Whitmore, 87. Former President Jimmy Carter, 84. Actor Tom Bosley, 81. Actress-singer Julie Andrews, 73. Actor Randy Quaid, 58. Actress Yvette Freeman, 51. Baseball player Mark McGwire, 45. Actress-model Cindy Margolis, 43. Actress Jurnee Smollett, 22.

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