Jessica Chasmar

Norway professor: Base airfare on a passenger’s weight

A professor in Norway has proposed that airlines start charging passengers by the weight they carry — on their bodies. Published March 25, 2013

Irish town to allow residents to drink and drive

The rural Irish town of Kilgarvan has passed a resolution to permit locals to drink and drive. Published March 25, 2013

Calif. county administrator gets $400K lifetime salary

An administrator in Alameda County, Calif., which includes Berkeley and Oakland, has been rewarded with more than $400,000 a year for the rest of her life. Published March 25, 2013

NRA’s Wayne LaPierre: Why doesn’t media cover Chicago’s poor enforcement of gun laws?

Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's executive vice president and CEO, who appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning, asked host David Gregory why the network doesn't focus on the poor enforcement of federal gun laws in Chicago. Published March 25, 2013

Education Department posts, then removes quote by Mao Zedong

The Department of Education pulled a "Quote of the Day" by Chinese dictator Mao Zedong from its children's website Friday after a screenshot of the quote went viral. Published March 24, 2013

Donald Trump: Anthony Weiner asked for money right before hitting ‘the wrong button on his computer’

Real estate tycoon Donald Trump told the New York Post on Friday that former New York Rep. Anthony D. Weiner came to him for money "just before he pressed the wrong button on his computer." Published March 24, 2013

West Virginia bill would ban drivers from using Google Glass

West Virginia lawmakers have introduced a bill that would ban drivers from using Google Glass from behind the wheel. Published March 24, 2013

Implanted blood monitor can signal heart attack via smartphone

A team of scientists in Switzerland has developed the world's smallest medical implant to monitor critical chemicals in the blood that can be sent to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Published March 24, 2013

Central African Republic president flees after rebels seize capital

Central African Republic President Francois Bozize fled the country Sunday morning after rebels seized control of the capital, Bangui. Published March 24, 2013

1970s radical Bill Ayers named visiting scholar at Minn. college

Onetime domestic terrorist Bill Ayers has been named a visiting scholar at the Minnesota State University at Moorhead. Published March 24, 2013

Bill Gates offers $100,000 grant for improved condoms

Technology mogul Bill Gates is offering a grant of $100,000 to anyone who can reinvent the condom to make it less of a mood killer. Published March 24, 2013

French Jewish group sues Twitter over racist, anti-semitic tweets

The Union of French Jewish Students (UEJF) is suing Twitter for nearly $50 million after it refused to turn over the names of people who had tweeted racist and anti-semitic remarks, as ruled by a French court. Published March 24, 2013

Texas elementary school student given quiz suggesting U.S. to blame for 9/11

A Texas mother is outraged after her fifth-grade son brought home schoolwork that apparently suggested the United States is to blame for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Published March 21, 2013

Judge bans prankster from saying the word ‘bingo’

A teenager in Covington, Ky., faced 90 days in jail and a $250 fine for disorderly conduct in a bingo hall last month. A judge, however, opted to ban him from a word instead. Published March 21, 2013

Pentagon mulls $150 million upgrade for Gitmo

The Pentagon is mulling a $150 million overhaul of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, including building a new dining hall, hospital and barracks for the guards. Published March 21, 2013

Pelosi has March Madness, but wants ‘everybody’ to win

While basketball fans nationwide have already filled out their March Madness brackets, lawmakers also discuss the tournament on Capitol Hill. However, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that while she is "March mad," she doesn't want anyone to lose. Published March 21, 2013

Rangel: ‘Millions of kids’ being shot down by assault rifles

New York Rep. Charlie Rangel appeared on MSNBC this morning to opine about the assault weapons ban getting dropped from the Senate gun-control bill. Published March 21, 2013

NRA reports best fundraising month in more than a decade

Fundraising for the National Rifle Association has seen a sharp increase since the president's reelection and talks of sweeping federal gun control measures, with the PAC reporting its best single month of fundraising in more than a decade. Published March 21, 2013

Bloomberg pumps millions into his anti-NRA super PAC

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg remains the only donor to his super PAC, Independence USA, donating another $2 million to the group, Politico reports. Published March 21, 2013

Chris Matthews guest cites ‘study’ on ‘racist,’ ‘homophobic’ tea party

MSNBC Host Chris Matthews railed against the tea party again Wednesday night when he invited a guest who claims the movement is racist, homophobic and xenophobic. Published March 21, 2013