Those planning the Livestock Nursery program at this year’s California State Fair did not expect things to go down like this. Early yesterday morning, a very pregnant cow that was part of the longstanding exhibit freaked out and started running wild around the fairgrounds. After several attempts to calm her down, she was shot says the Sacramento Bee. Both the mother and the calf died.

There’s an interesting article in today’s Orange County Register about protecting yourself against medical identity theft. Apparently, it’s a growing problem. Experts say most victims don’t know their insurance information has been stolen until they receive notice from a collection agency about unpaid bills.

Never has there been such a desire to see a president in his bathing suit. The Miami Herald says the whole state of Florida is wondering whether President Obama will go for a swim when he takes his family on vacation to the Gulf next month. Local tourism insiders say with his love of surfing on record, avoiding the waves would be interpreted as a snub to the region.

We’re not the only ones without details about Chelsea Clinton’s upcoming nuptials. USA Today says even those who’ve been invited are being kept in the dark. The tabloids are griping that helicopters won’t be able to get near the ceremony because there will likely be a no-fly zone in place.  And even the “usually loquacious former president” has managed to keep his lips shut.

A California man who bought a series of glass negatives for $45 at a garage sale back in 2001 is having a great day. After six months of investigating, experts have confirmed that the negatives once belonged to Ansel Adams and are worth around $200 million. The Fresno Bee says meteorologists compared the clouds featured in the negatives with ones that appear in Adams’ pictures to confirm their authenticity.

This seems more like the plot from an episode of “Lost”: The San Francisco Chronicle says a group of scientists working on a remote island have noticed more than just the fragile wildlife they’re chronicling—they all report having the same dream. Called “day residue,” experts say it’s pretty common for people who experience similar circumstances during the day to have similar dreams at night.

There’s nothing I’d rather avoid in this weather than standing over a hot stove. Luckily, someone at the New York Post must’ve been feeling the same way. They put together a great feature on recipes that don’t require any cooking. A recipe for tuna ceviche caught my eye, as did several delicious-looking Middle Eastern dishes.

The cast of the “Jersey Shore” is getting a new roommate and this time, she’s actually from New Jersey. The New York Post says 23-year-old Deena Nicole Cortese was brought in to correct girl-boy ratio in the Seaside Heights house. She’s certainly got the tan to fit in but it maybe Cortese’s description of her attributes that sealed the deal. If anyone had any doubts, Cortese characterizes herself as “f- - king classy.”

I’m in possession of a secret that, until temperatures soared this summer, it seemed like no one wanted in on: The 5-to-6 am hour is the coolest of the day. There’s a great New York Times article by Sam Dolnick about the hours just before the sun rises. One man interviewed at 5:30 am said “it’s the only time of day I enjoy.”

“The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten” is the eye-catching headline I saw on the front page of the New York Times this morning. Economy columnist David Leonhardt looks at data indicating that the quality of education in kindergarten is so important to a student’s development that an exceptional teacher is actually worth about $320,000 a year to society.

USA Today has a cool story on the pro-quality microphones now being marketed towards regular consumers. Many of the models plug directly into an iPhone or a laptop with a USB cable, eliminating the need for drivers or mixing equipment. That’s good news for the growing number of people who are podcasting and making their own music.

We sent our sexy Russian spy back home, with love. But now we have a sexy Russian smuggler to warm our hearts. The Dallas Morning News says 24-year-old Anna Fermanova is the new Anna Chapman. The young woman is under house arrest after she was stopped with three pairs of high-tech night vision scopes, items that require a license to leave the country, on her way to Russia earlier this month.

In order to warn players about their risk of head injury, the NFL has required teams to put posters up in their locker rooms. In this spirit, the Wall Street Journal has created their own list of warnings. NBA stars are reminded that apathy can cause the desire “to update Twitter while your team is on defense” and bulls are solemnly informed that “the skinny men in sequins are trying to kill you.”

Erin Andrews was on Capitol Hill yesterday stumping for tougher anti-stalking laws reports the Washington Post. She told lawmakers that her own experience with a camera-wielding stalker had shown her how much technology has changed and intensified the crime. Andrews argued that our current laws need a rewrite in order to deal with technologically savvy predators.

Rumors are circulating that Wyclef Jean might be gearing up to run for president in Haiti come November. The Boston Herald says Jean has completed all the necessary paperwork and has hinted that he will announce his candidacy soon. If he does run, Jean will have to answer to allegations that his charity Yele has mismanaged funds.

Less than two weeks after the BP leak was plugged, only a few large patches of oil remain in the Gulf of Mexico says the New York Times this morning, Apparently, the warm Gulf water is dissolving the oil more quickly than expected. Experts say that’s good news for wildlife and shore communities but they still worry about the spill’s effects underwater.

According to the Wall Street Journal, it’s not about whether we fight with our spouses—it’s about how we fight with them. Experts say that couples who grow used to criticizing each other, rolling their eyes at each other or leaving a room to end an argument are the ones that end up getting divorced.

My kids are pretty healthy eaters but like many parents I can’t imagine a world with no Goldfish on hand. The Charlotte Observer profiles one family that’s put themselves on a strict whole-foods diet. For 100 days, they are saying no to “refined sugars, fast food, deep-fried foods or refined grains.” And at day 62, the family says many of their kids health problems have vanished, as has 10 pounds from around dad’s waist.

There was a spectacular Associated Press photo picked up in several of the papers this morning. It’s of a replacement for the Willis Avenue Bridge being moved to its new home. The New York Post says the 300-plus foot structure passed under both the Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridges as it made its way (slowly) uptown on the East River.

Don’t try throwing a snowball in Michigan. Avoid using a white cane in public, unless you’re blind. And whatever you do, refrain from painting any birds to sell later as a parakeet.  The Detroit Free Press says it can be funny to look at the old laws still on the books. Funny, until they’re actually enforced. The paper talks to a man who received a ticket for violating a 100-year-old obscene speech law after he fell out of his canoe.

They’re state-sanctioned party crashers. The Las Vegas Review-Journal says the police department has created a special unit to deal with teen parties. Officials claim the task force is necessary because teens have gotten so good at planning alcohol-laden events. One technique to elude the authorities is to send out a fake address via text. When partygoers arrive, they pay a fee and are given the real address.

If you’re watching your weight, you may want to turn off your air conditioner.  The Star Tribune says living in air conditioning can affect a person’s ability to burn calories. And a new book on the subject says that by spending most of your time in air conditioning, your body actually becomes less able to deal with hot temperatures. In 1960, only 12 percent of American homes had AC. Now, it’s 85 percent.

The “Jersey Shore” juggernaut has gotten so out of control that it’s prompted the launch of an official face-saving campaign says the Philadelphia Inquirer. Called “Jersey Doesn’t Stink,” it’s attempt to reclaim the Garden State’s maligned public image, one that, according to historians, has been ridiculed since colonial times.

I guess Kings of Leon should be happy it’s not a widespread sentiment in the pigeon community. According to Verizon, it was one rogue bird that caused “pigeongate.” The band abruptly stopped their show in St. Louis last Friday after complaining that they were being showered with guano says the Post-Dispatch. The band’s bassist claims the last straw was when some of the pigeon poop got into his mouth. VIDEO

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is so good at what he does that it’s easy to chalk up his ability to some otherworldly phenomenon. But a highly detailed article in today’s Washington Post says the real reason the 22-year-old is so good is that he’s “a genius at moving energy through his body, never making a motion too early or too late, never creating an angle in his body that’s too acute or obtuse.”

For 378 years, it’s been passed down from generation to generation. Until now. The Boston Globe says the country’s oldest working family farm is up for sale in New Hampshire. Tuttle Farms’ current owner says he hasn’t turned a profit since the recession. According to federal estimates, 41 million acres of American farmland have been lost since 1982.

Imagine living on a lake and then waking up one day to find it’s disappeared. About 900 homes ring Lake Delhi and until yesterday, they all shared spectacular views of the 450-acre lake in Eastern Iowa. Over the weekend a dam broke, sending water levels plummeting. The New York Times says only two days later, all that’s left is a nine-mile track of mud.

About 4 million iPhones and other Apple devices have already been altered to run on systems other than AT&T’s network; the LA Times says T Mobile has authorized so many iPhones it now offers technical support for them. But now, it’s actually legal to jailbreak your iPhone.

It costs $30 a cup and tastes like crap. But it’s supposed to says the New York Daily News. “Cat poo coffee,” otherwise known as “Kopi Luwak,” is made from beans that are eaten and then excreted by small cat-like mammals called civets. In Indonesia and the Philippines, it’s considered a delicacy. VIDEO

You really can’t make it up any better than this: The New York Post reports that Tony Hayward will resign as CEO this fall to run BP’s Siberian business. Yes, that right. But he’s not exactly going into exile. Under a great photo of Hayward hiding from onlookers, the Post says he’ll receive “millions in severance and pension payments” to take the job in Siberia.