A beautifully preserved dinosaur found in the US retains remarkable detail of skin cells.

Most Americans would rather give up alcohol for a week than give up their cell phone for the same time period, a survey conducted for Best Buy indicated. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they'd rather abstain from drinking rather than put away their cell phones for a week, results released Tuesday of the survey by GFK Roper showed.

The parents of a 2-year-old in China who smokes at least a pack of cigarettes a day say they are seeking advice to help the toddler quit. Toddler Tong Liangliang of Tianjin, China, was allowed to begin smoking by his father more than a year ago to help control pain from a hernia with which

Rhode Island officials are pushing for a vote to let residents decide whether to shorten the state's formal name, which critics say is evocative of slavery. The state House of Representatives voted 70-3 to allow residents to vote on whether to shorten the name from State of Rhode Island and

A Washington state couple said they drove to Virginia and back for their latest exotic pet -- a 26-day-old giraffe. John and Jane Schreiner said they paid a large, large sum for Karson, a baby giraffe born at the Natural Bridge Zoo near Roanoke, Va., and arrived home with the animal Friday after a cross-country drive, The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review reported Tuesday. The couple said Karson will live in their Spokane County home for about four months before moving to the 12,000-acre Schreiner Farms ranch, which John Schreiner co-owns with his brother Joe. He may be the only giraffe ever to be raised as a pet in Spokane, John Schreiner said. The ranch already houses three adult giraffes, in addition to zebras, bison and camels. The couple said they do not believe local officials will have any objection to Karson staying in their home while he grows. He's not a carnivore, which is the one concern the county and states are right to control people from raising, John Schreiner said.

Authorities in Britain said a burglar who chose the wrong house to steal from found himself at the business end of a 72-year-old retired boxer's fists. Investigators said Gregory McCalium, 23, was armed with a knife when he entered the home of Frank Corti, 72, and his wife Margaret, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday. Corti dodged McCalium's blade and punched him twice in the face, sending the burglar to the ground.

Police said a gun-wielding man who robbed a New Jersey gas station was holding a potato in his free hand. Investigators said the man entered the Gulf station in Jersey City near the Holland Tunnel with a gun in one hand and the potato in the other, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported Tuesday. The robber obtained money from the clerk and fled the scene in a two-door black vehicle that had been parked at a nearby Burger King, police said.

Michael Jackson is getting a new tribute. And it's in butter. Iowa State Fair organizers announced Tuesday that in addition to their annual butter cow statute, there would be one of the pop music icon. Jackson died Thursday at age 50. Both the butter...

Police in Washington state said a woman accused of stealing money from her ex-husband's bank account said her dog's actions forced her to commit the crime. Arlington police spokeswoman Kristin Banfield said a 42-year-old man told police in late March money was disappearing from his bank account and detectives determined the money was being used to pay utility bills and for sundry items at the home of the man's 50-year-old ex-wife, the Everett (Wash.) Herald reported Tuesday. Banfield said the woman, whose name was not released, gave police an unusual excuse for her behavior. Her dog got into her purse and ate all her personal checks, Banfield said.

Police in Ohio said a 19-year-old man is accused of breaking into a home and staying for about a week while the resident family was on vacation. Hamilton County court documents accuse Nicholas Truesdell of Anderson Township of breaking into a home in the township June 15 and spending about a week living in the house before his arrest, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Tuesday. Police said Truesdell slept in the home's master bedroom, used the family's TV and computer and even drove the family's car while they were away. Truesdell was charged with burglary and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Residents of Highland Park, Mich., said a new set of stringent barbecuing regulations taking effect just in time for July Fourth are unlikely to be followed. The City Council's barbecue ordinance, which passed June 15 and took effect Tuesday, states: Placement of any barbecue cooking or equipment ...

University of South Florida officials said an unmanned water vehicle that resembles a giant model plane was mistakenly plucked from the water by fishermen. The officials said a fishing boat bearing St.

Police in South Dakota said a motel front desk clerk turned away a robber who demanded money while armed with a butter knife. Rapid City police said the Howard Johnson Express Inn clerk refused to give the man any money when he approached her at about 6 p.m.

Authorities in Florida said two men who broke into several cars made a crucial mistake when they asked a sheriff's deputy for a ride home. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said Eshon Hardy, 18, and Theodor Walker III, 20, told deputy Austin Littleton when they were approached at 4 a.m.

Thousands of rap fans bombard an Oldham family with calls after their phone number featured on a rap track.

Police said a Florida man charged with domestic battery allegedly sprayed his wife with a garden hose for smoking in the house. The police report of the incident said the victim arrived at her Jensen Beach home Saturday evening while smoking a cigarette.

Birmingham police said a 22-year-old woman has suffered a broken leg after being hit by a train. Officer Lawrence Billups said the woman told police she was lying on the tracks "to clear her mind" when the train approached around 7 a.m. Sunday. Billups said...

A Wisconsin teenager using a classic excuse for evading schoolwork missed a class trip to Peru despite his tale being true: The dog ate his passport

A shambling sentence about screaming seafarers stood shoulders above the rest in an annual bad writing contest

A bear with an apparent sweet-tooth broke into a home and gobbled up a box of chocolates from a refrigerator