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Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

LEAD STORY

Ÿ Scientists at England’s University of Oxford know how to make fruitflies scared of things they weren’t scared of previously — by implanting artificial memories in their brains. The implanted “danger” (the smell of sweat-soaked athletic shoes) causes the flies to scatter at the first whiff.

Government in Action

Ÿ For three weeks in September, budget-conscious Mayor Sallie Peake of Wellford, S.C., barred the police from chasing perpetrators of crimes in progress, even if officers drove at the speed limit. Officers were instructed, instead, to arrest suspects later in their homes. (The mayor, under siege, rescinded the policy on Sept. 24.)

Ÿ Mayor Stu Rasmussen, 61, of Silverton, Ore., elected last year even though he dresses as a woman, drew criticism in July when he addressed students while wearing a miniskirt and a swimsuit top. Critics suggested he should dress at least in “professional” women’s clothes when speaking to youths.

Ÿ New York City has a policy of settling some lawsuits quickly to avoid the risk of expensive judgments. The New York Daily News reported in October that more than 20 lawsuits, going back several years, were filed by members of the East 21st Street Crew (a well-known Brooklyn gang notorious for selling crack cocaine), and that the city has settled every time, paying out more than $500,000. The “civil rights” lawsuits were over possibly illegal searches and for criminal charges that the city later dismissed.

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