Do you know why Richard Branson was in such a hurry to unveil SpaceShipTwo last week? It’s not because he loves cool toys — it’s because he was worried an inventor who’s created a personal UFO would steal his thunder.

Or at least, that’s what a new press release from UFO guru Luke Fortune claims. Fortune, an inventor, has put the plans and patents to allow you to build your own laser-fusion-powered UFO online for free. Read the full story

Justice Dept. To Stop Pursuit Of Medical Marijuana Use

WASHINGTON — People who use marijuana for medical purposes and those who distribute it should not face federal prosecution, provided they act according to state law, the Justice Department said on Monday in a directive with political and legal implications. Read the full story

The Washington Post:

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

– At long last, the Senate Finance Committee will vote on Chairman Max Baucus’s health-care bill. If the bill can’t gather at least one Republican vote — that means you, Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine), above — expect Baucus’s name to be taken in vain by angry liberals who watched the protracted process the Montana Democrat oversaw in the name of bipartisanship result in a bill that left them less than pleased. Read the full story

ALBANY — Workers at Capital Region hospitals are going to have to get a flu shot this year or face losing their jobs.

The requirement is part of a new emergency regulation adopted earlier this month by the State Hospital Review and Planning Council that requires that all hospital workers get the flu vaccine — and that it be a requirement for employment. Read the full story

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet. Read the full story