Sniper Malvo Seeks A Plea-Bargain

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Convicted Washington-area sniper Lee Boyd Malvo is seeking a broad plea agreement in which he would plead guilty to other 2002 sniper shootings that authorities have linked him to, defense attorneys and Maryland prosecutors said yesterday. The deal, announced as Malvo formally pleaded guilty to six Maryland murders, could be reached before his November 9 sentencing for those killings.

— Associated Press

Texas Jail’s Pink Uniforms Deter Reoffenders

MASON, Texas — Prisoners at Mason County Jail wear pink jumpsuits and pink slippers. They are surrounded by pink bars and pink walls. Using pink uniforms in a pink jail is a small step to deter inmates from ever wanting to spend more time in the Mason County Jail, which might be getting too old to operate, Sheriff Clint Low said. The jumpsuits are to keep inmates from coming back to jail, and the pink walls are designed to keep tempers and emotions cool in a jail that is tiny by today’s standards. Mr. Low, who was a deputy in Mason before being elected sheriff, estimated the reoffense rate in the county is down 70% since he switched to pink jumpsuits for the inmates.

— The Washington Post

Study: Ovulating Women Are More Attentive To Their Appearances

Women who are ovulating tend to pay more attention to their appearance, perhaps in a subliminal effort to attract a mate, according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. “They tend to put on skirts instead of pants, show more skin, and generally dress more fashionably,” an associate professor of communication studies and psychology at UCLA, Martie Haselton, said.The study, published online yesterday in the journal Hormones and Behavior, contradicts the conventional wisdom that human females are among the very few primates who show no outward signs of fertility.

— Los Angeles Times

Study: Mediterranean Diet May Stall Alzheimer’s

Scientists have produced more evidence for the health benefits of eating a “Mediterranean diet”: It apparently can help protect your brain. Researchers said their study found evidence that the diet may produce its benefits through reducing inflammation and the amount of oxidation in the body.

— The Washington Post