Balance Sheet
Assets
Pill Power
Fifteen states move to block the federal government from billing them for Medicare's massive drug benefit, calling it an "unprecedented intrusion into each state's sovereignty." The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the states have to pony up for a federal boondoggle.
Sky-Fi
Federal regulators inch closer to allowing in-flight telecom service for passengers. Passengers want Internet access and cheaper phone calls; wireless providers and airlines want the new revenue stream.
Housing Huff
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle bucks a nationwide trend and slams a local "affordable housing" mandate. "I deny that there is a problem," Naugle says. "You can buy condos all day for $160,000."
Bakersfield, Sound
The city of Bakersfield, California, rejects the regulatory demands of the smart growthers and embraces actual expansion, allowing its booming population to enjoy cheap and plentiful housing. Mayor Harvey Hall explains, "You just can't stop growth."
Mean Green
Researchers at the United Kingdom's University of Warwick aim to create nutrient-packed "super broccoli" via genetic manipulation. Scientists are trying to double the vegetable's shelf life.
Franken-Penis
Doctors at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University report success in regrowing healthy cells for diseased rabbit penises. Researchers say the process could pave the way for treating impotence in human beings.
Liabilities
Playoff Payoff
Fresh off their first NBA playoff series win in decades, the Cleveland Cavaliers ask taxpayers to help pay for a new $20 million practice facility.
Puerto Loco
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shuts down all offices, including public schools, after the government goes bankrupt. No wonder: With 200,000 employees, the bureaucracy is the island's largest employer, accounting for an astounding 80 percent of the operational budget.
Outlaw Competition
Washington state decrees Internet gambling a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Unlike tribal casinos or the state lottery, online gambling operations do not give the state a piece of the action.
Bawdy House
Bipartisan outrage greets word that the FBI raided the Capitol Hill office of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.). Jefferson is the subject of a Justice Department bribery investigation. It is unclear how lawmakers want congressional corruption investigated. Perhaps not at all.
Too Secret
The Federal Communications Commission says it cannot investigate whether phone companies violated telecom privacy laws by providing information to the National Security Agency. The NSA told the FCC the topic is classified, so that's that.
Baseball Strikeout
Major League Baseball picks a fight with CBC Distribution and Marketing, a St. Louis firm that runs fantasy sports leagues. Baseball says CBC must pay licensing fees to use players' names and stats. The firm notes that baseball players are public figures and their statistics are in the public domain.
