The purpose of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 is to prevent lobbyists from securing undue influence by taking members of Congress to intimate dinners at fancy restaurants.

Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, a Democrat, admitted that the Board of Supervisors is enacting too many onerous regulations.

Roman Catholic Bishop Fernando Lugo of Paraguay has been temporarily suspended from clerical duties, but the Vatican hasn’t formally accepted his resignation, even though the bishop is campaigning to be the next president of Paraguay and is leading in the polls.

The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra had recently been rehearsing a piece, “State by Siege” by the composer Dror Feiler at 97.4 decibels, just below the level of a pneumatic drill, but still a violation of new European noise-at-work limits. The orchestra refused to play more softly or wear noise-muffling headphones.

The dogs, JJ and Logan, have donated blood more than a dozen times in the past three years. Instead of going to the American Red Cross or local blood center, the dogs donate at Sun States Animal Blood Bank.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran believes that crude oil prices at $115 a barrel are too low; and says oil must “discover its real value.”

According to Fox News, “oil prices have hit all-time highs above $115 a barrel in recent weeks, amid reports that oil and gas stocks in the United States were lower than expected and the dollar sinks to record lows.”

Pope Benedict XVI. Spoke of protecting immigrant families, not dividing them, even as he was flying to the United States.

On Wednesday, he raised the issue again in a meeting with President Bush and later that day spoke to the church’s “many immigrant children” in Spanish. He will end his visit in New York, where he will be sent off by a throng of the faithful, showing off the ethnic diversity of American Catholicism.”

Federal Reserve policy makers are sensing renewed inflation dangers and an economic boost from government rebate checks. Consequently, the Fed may be nearing a pause in interest rate-cuts after the fastest reduction in two decades.