*** Brief News of the World ***

*** Brief News of the World ***-------- Positive: * Conn. Mayor Donates Kidney to Facebook Friend * Politicians long ago discovered the uses of Facebook. East Haven Mayor April Capone Almon found something else there: a constituent who needed her kidney. Capone Almon, 35, had more than 1,600 "friends" on Facebook last year when she saw one of them, Carlos Sanchez, post a status update saying his friends and relatives had all been tested and couldn't donate a kidney. Go here for complete news story. * NY Girl Helps Choking Friend, Credits 'SpongeBob' * When her best friend turned purple, Miriam Starobin's thoughts turned to yellow -- cartoon hero SpongeBob SquarePants. The denizen of fictional undersea Bikini Bottom was being credited Friday with inspiring a lifesaving rescue during music class at a seaside school earlier this week.Go here for complete news story. * PIMCO's Gross to Auction Rare Stamps for Charity * PIMCO's Bill Gross, manager of the world's largest mutual fund, plans to auction rare European stamps from his collection to raise more than $1 million to benefit Doctors Without Borders. The auction will feature about 200 stamps of Western Europe, including early stamps from France, some German colonies and German government offices in China. One rare vermilion French stamp may be worth $75,000 or more, Gross told Reuters. Go here for complete news story.