A Paper Test for Cancer. Sangeeta Bhatia has developed a low-cost paper diagnostic for cancer. The MIT professor developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could improve diagnosis rates and help people get treated earlier. Much like a pregnancy test, the diagnostic reveals within minutes whether a person has cancer, based on a urine sample. [MIT]
Mindy Kaling’s Standout Style. The Mindy Project star’s appearance at Saturday’s Costume Designers Guild Awards made quite an impression, with a custom-made turquoise dress designed by the Costume Design Guild’s president Salvador Perez, who also works on her wardrobe for her TV series. According to Glamour, Kaling’s approach to makeup also made her stand out from the crowd. [Los Angeles Times, Glamour]
@costumeawards @mindykaling #diva pic.twitter.com/cLzSf2TC2O
— Salvador Perez (@MrSalPerez) February 24, 2014
Comatose Pakistani Student Can Stay in US. Exchange student Shahzaib Bajwa, 21, was hospitalized and comatose in Minnesota after a car accident and was going to be deported to a Pakistani hospital when his student visa expired this week. But now thanks to Pakistani and American diplomats and social media support, his visa will be extended, the exchange program’s insurance carrier will cover up to $90K in expenses at a long-term local care facility, and people online have raised over $130K for his medical expenses. [Global Voices]
A Look at Tampa Bay’s Indian-Americans. In advance of April’s IIFA Awards (“Bollywood Oscars”) set to take place in Tampa, Florida, local media covers the growth of the area’s Indian-American community. One measure of growth noted is the falling price of paneer over the years! (from $8 to $2.99 on sale) [Tampa Bay Times]
An Agra Love Story Ends in Tragedy. American Erin Willinger, a yoga teacher and psychologist, met Indian rickshaw cab driver Bunty Sharma last year when she visited the Taj Mahal. They fell in love and married in October, but their love story ended in tragedy. Her body was found in a deserted part of the city last Thursday and police report that Sharma, suspected of killing her, killed himself the same day. [AP, ABC News]
State Trooper Last to See SIU Student Pravin Varughese. Authorities are working to determine what happened the night of Feb. 12, when 19-year-old Southern Illinois University student Pravin Varughese disappeared. Investigators now believe a state trooper saw him run into the woods that night. Varughese was found dead on Feb. 19 in a wooded area in Carbondale. [WSIL TV, CBS News]
What’s in Those Bidis? The FDA has banned from the market four brands of bidis — thin, hand rolled cigarettes popular in India — because manufacturer Jash International failed to provide ingredient information. It was the first time the FDA exercised such power since getting the authority to do so in 2009. [New York Times]
Pavani Yalamanchili is a co-founder and editor of The Aerogram. Email her at editors@theaerogram.com. Find The Aerogram on Twitter @theaerogram or on Facebook.
For probably the first time in her life, she looks remotely elegant. Mr. Perez deserves some sort of award for making her look half-way passable. But no matter how much lipstick you put on a pig, it’ll still remain a pig – no matter what.