Monday, Oct. 17

Popular with the home crowd: Poll finds 67 percent of New Yorkers agree with Occupy Wall Street protesters, including even 35 percent of Republicans … Toke on this: Support for legalizing marijuana hits all-time high (pun intended) as Gallup poll shows 50 percent of Americans favor it, up from 46 percent last year … Book now, avoid the rush: Virgin Galactic, space tourism venture of billionaire Virgin Airlines founder Richard Branson, opens spaceport in Las Cruces, NM; tickets for suborbital flight to cost $200,000 per … This is SO wrong: Sesame Street’s YouTube channel back on line after somebody hacks it, puts up porn videos … This is SO French: French police official Jean-Christophe Lagarde alleged to have flown prostitutes to NYC for Dominique Strauss-Kahn. What, there weren’t enough hookers in New York?

Oct. 10

Winning hearts and minds: United Nations report says prisoners in Afghanistan hung by hands, beaten with cables and have genitals twisted until they pass out … Let the “good times” roll: Research shows US household incomes have fallen more since recession (supposedly) ended than during recession … Getting really bad reviews: Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr sentenced to year in jail and 90 lashes for making movie government didn’t like … Down to the wire: Amber Miller, 27, runs Chicago Marathon while 39 weeks pregnant, goes into labor, gives birth to 7-pound, 13-ounce baby girl shortly after finishing. “Everybody just kind of stared as I’m running by,” she says.

Are you ready for some hatred? ESPN scrubs Hank Williams Jr.’s “Are you ready for some football?” song from Monday Night Football after Williams, on Faux Noise, compares President Obama to Hitler. Williams claims he was “misunderstood” … Courtroom drama: Tearful University of Washington student Amanda Knox goes free after Italian court overturns conviction for killing Meredith Kercher in 2007 … You don’t wanna go there: Emails show White House officials last year warned Obama not to visit Solyndra, the California energy company that went belly-up after collecting half a billion in federal loans … It’s good to be queen: Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reports Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi once offered to step down and become figurehead leader “like the queen of England.” Always thought he’d look nice in a tiara.

Monday, Sept. 26

This is turning into a routine: Senate approves deal to avert government shutdown Friday; Democrats and Republicans both claim victory … Nyaa, nyaa, can’t touch me: Dominique Strauss-Kahn claims former status as chief of International Monetary Fund gives him diplomatic immunity against civil lawsuit by NYC hotel maid who says he raped her … Worth it to shut him up: Charlie Sheen settles suit against “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre and Warner Brothers for reported $25 million … No PDAs on SWA: Musician/actress Leisha Hailey says she was kicked off Southwest Airlines flight for kissing her girlfriend, urges gays to boycott Southwest … Guess they aren’t that unhealthy: Arch West, former Frito-Lay exec credited with creating Doritos in 1961, dies at age 97.

This is how it’s gonna be: President Obama vows to veto any debt reduction package that doesn’t include tax increases on rich … A choice, not an echo: Ralph Nader and other liberal leaders announce plans to field progressive slate in presidential race; Nader says idea isn’t to defeat Obama but to sharpen focus on progressive issues … Blood money: Rupert Murdoch’s News International Corp. reportedly offers $4.5 million settlement to family of murder victim Milly Dowler for hacking their phones … Yemen’s agony: Death toll from two days of clashes between protesters and security forces in Yemen tops 50, including children … Which came first, the ducks or the beavers? Bureau of Land Management says 7-million-year-old fossilized beaver teeth found in Eastern Oregon are earliest evidence of beavers in North America.