Dashboard

RANGOON, BURMA

Buddhist monks sprayed with tear gas at protest

PHUKET, THAILAND

Plane crash on resort island kills at least 88

WASHINGTON

Dana Perino takes over as press secretary

KARAJ, IRAN

Police crack down on drug trafficking

CAIRO

A dervish dancer kicks off Ramadan

INDIANOLA, IOWA

Dems stump at Senator Tom Harkin's steak fry

THE MAP

State of Drunk Driving

In 2006, more than 17,600 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes, according to a new study from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Utah, whose Mormon population largely shuns drinking, is the state with the lowest rate of alcohol-related fatalities: just 24%. Hawaii has the highest rate: 52% of its fatal crashes involved high alcohol levels. To fight drunk driving, state courts may require that prior DUI offenders install devices that prevent impaired drivers from starting their cars.

LEXICON

health zoning

DEFINITION helth zohn-ing n: Limiting the number of fast-food restaurants in urban areas.

CONTEXT Los Angeles is considering a two-year moratorium on new fast-food stores in South L.A. It's not the only city cracking down on fatty foods: Berkeley and Arcata, Calif., limit greasy chains, while certain districts of Port Jefferson, N.Y.; Concord, Mass.; and Calistoga, Calif., ban them entirely. But critics say L.A. is ignoring a bigger issue: poverty. About 28% of its residents are poor, and fast food is a cheap dinner fix.

USAGE South L.A. has the highest concentration of fast-food joints in the city, and the area has fewer grocery stores and restaurants than any other neighborhood. About 30% of adults in the low-income area are obese, almost 10% more than the national average. The two-year moratorium on fast food will be presented to the city council this fall, but opponents argue that for many, fast food isn't simply a convenience; it's the only choice.

ARTIFACT

The Antiquity Shuffle

FINDERS KEEPERS? More than 90 years after a Yale explorer discovered the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu, the university has agreed to return hundreds of excavated artifacts to the Peruvian government.

MUSEUMS RELENT Other art and antiquities finding their way home include Italy's artwork returned by the Getty and sacred Kenyan items reclaimed from Boston University.

WELL, MOST OF THEM Despite repeated requests by the Greek government, the British Museum hasn't returned the Parthenon's marble frieze.

SPACE NOTE

Race to the Moon: Part II

It's been nearly four decades since man walked on the moon, and the private and public sectors are now looking lunar. On Sept. 13, Google pledged $20 million to the team that could first get a robotic rover on the moon. A day later, Japan launched its first lunar probe. China, India and the U.S. have plans to send up satellites of their own in the coming year.

WHAT'S NEXT? In 10 to 15 years, we'll be on a path to building a permanent moon base, says Space Policy Institute director John Logsdon.

WASTE

Disaster Strikes, Pork Sizzles

After the collapse of a Minneapolis highway bridge that killed 13 people in August, critics lashed out at the lack of federal spending on basic infrastructure maintenance. Remarkably, Congress nonetheless plans to earmark more than $2 billion in the transportation-appropriations bill for frivolous home-district projects. Here's a plate of pork projects from the bill's House and Senate versions that won't make our roads any safer.

FLOWER POWER North Dakota's Democratic Senators want $450,000 to revamp the International Peace Garden, a "symbol of friendship" between the U.S. and Canada.

CHIP SHOT New York Representative John McHugh (R) set aside $100,000 to help develop a nine-hole public golf course into a year-round resort.

WINE WITH YOUR PORK? Washington Representative Doc Hastings (R) earmarked $250,000 for the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center, which promotes the state's wine industry.

HONOR THY MULES California Representative Buck McKeon (R) is seeking $50,000 for a mule museum, as mules are "an integral part" of the country's development.