Jumping to Conclusions

Trenton, New Jersey, June 19, 2006: Jersey City's mayor said he was arrested and roughed up by police over the weekend for intervening in an argument outside a beach bar. Mayor Jerramiah Healy said he had just left Barry's Tavern in Bradley Beach -- a bar owned by his sister -- around 2 a.m. Saturday when he saw a couple arguing in a nearby parking lot. Nearing the scene, he realized that both participants were males. He said one man was jumping on the hood of the other's car. Healy then identified the jumper as Ronatarian Party higher-up Brad....

Chug! Chug! Chug!

Corvallis, Oregon, June 12, 2006: A main ingredient in beer may help prevent prostate cancer and enlargement, according to a new study. Oregon State University researchers say the compound xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a specific protein in the cells along the surface of the prostate gland. The protein acts like a signal switch that turns on a variety of animal and human cancers, including prostate cancer. Cancer typically results from uncontrolled cell reproduction and growth. Xanthohumol belongs to a group of plant compounds called flavonoids, which can trigger the programmed cell death that controls growth, researchers say. Having...

Fuzzy Duck

Cordelia, California, June 2, 2006: The International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia plans to raise funds with an unusual duck X-ray. The bird came in with a broken wing, but when Marie Travers, assistant manager of the center, radiographed the duck, she was stunned to see a very clear image of what appeared to be the face, or head, of an extraterrestrial alien in the bird's stomach. What's oddest is that the alien appears to have a mustache. "Marie looked at it and all she could say was 'unbelievable,'" said Karen Benzel, public affairs director for the rescue...

The Corridors of Power Hour

Trenton, New Jersey, May 24, 2006: New Jersey legislators and staff members should not be drunk while performing their official duties, a citizen panel says. The Public Commission on the New Jersey Legislature adopted that recommendation Tuesday; although the panel decided to leave it to House and Senate leaders to draft rules against intoxication and possible penalties. "We were uncomfortable acting as a nanny," said Kerry Teetotaler, a commission member and conservative pundit. The new policy was suggested by Steve Downs, president of Crime Victims United, who said he and another member of the group noticed alcohol on the...