With an heiress in prison stealing more of the spotlight than the recent $5.8 million case involving former Fresno State volleyball coach Lindy Vivas, it could be easy to wonder who decides which story is more worthy of telling. Fortunately, in this case, you the reader get to decide. From crumbling bridges making the nation question its transportation systems to Fresno State controversy leading to questions of gender equity, here is the Reader’s Digest version of what all of you news fans missed.

Nationwide:

1) Whether it is for her talent or her erratic behavior, Lindsay Lohan is no stranger to being labeled. But a hypocrisy charge was brought on by her own words and actions. In May, one day before her first DUI, she told Elle Magazine that she would never drive drunk. “They’re looking for me to like trip, so they can be like ‘Oh, Lindsay’s wasted and driving drunk.’ And that’s not it. I wouldn’t violate,â€Â Lohan said. “I’m much more responsible than that.â€Â Fast forward a few months and Lohan is sentenced to a day in jail for not one, but two DUI charges. The magazine hit newsstands this month.

2) Paris Hilton was released from Lynwood jail after serving 23 days for violating her probation after her DUI. She quickly became a media frenzy, with Internet sites and media outlets reporting every aspect of Paris̢۪s stay. Controversy in the L.A. county sheriff̢۪s department erupted after Paris was temporarily given house arrest. Once back in jail, newscasters, columnists and amateur bloggers alike were contemplating hard-hitting questions along the lines of whether or not the heiress would be allowed to keep her hair extensions behind bars.

3) To fully describe the madness that can only be labeled Potter Mania, one need only look at the list of things that happened in the wake of the book and the movie. Fans waited in long lines for the midnight showing of the movie on July 11 and bookstores were full of people waiting to buy the book. Millions of books were printed just for the first distribution, the movie made $12 million at the midnight showing alone. Harry Potter has become such a cultural icon that UrbanDictionary.com added the word “post-potter syndrome,â€Â defined as “the empty feeling that comes from finishing the seventh book in the Harry Potter series and realizing there will be no more.â€Â

4) With multiple offers and on-again, off-again deals, Donald Trump has backed out of his $30 million offer for the troubled Running Horse golf and residential project, reasoning that the deal had become too risky. The Fresno Bee’s Bill McEwen, however, says that Trump will be back. “Donald Trump’s deal to buy Running Horse is off-again, and it’s nearly as big of a surprise as Lindsay Lohan breaking her minutes-old sobriety,” McEwen wrote. “A week from now, Trump and Running Horse will be on again.”

5) July 7 brought together 100 musicians and 2 billion people worldwide with “Live Earth: The Concert For A Climate in Crisis.â€Â New York City was one of eight different sites that included London, Tokyo and Sydney. To raise awareness for the seriousness of global warming and other climate issues, top names such as Bono, Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Ludacris and Linkin Park performed.

6) Aug. 1 revealed the lack of repair to many of the nation’s bridges after the Interstate 35 W Bridge collapsed during 6 p.m. traffic, crumbling into the Mississippi River below. Over 79 people were injured, five died and eight are still missing. With 600,000 bridges in the nation, the USA Today/Gallup poll asked if citizens thought that the bridge collapse shows serious problem with the nation’s transportation. Six out of 10 respondents said “yes.â€Â

7) President Bush signed a bill into law that allows American intelligence agencies to monitor phone conversations and other communications between people in the United States and people overseas without a warrant. This amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and reduces the requirements for wiretapping a suspect to simply being outside of the U.S. A warrant will only be needed if a suspicious intercepted conversation turned out to involve a US citizen. This legalizes warrantless wiretapping Bush authorized after Sept. 11. The bill, which was passed by a 277-183 vote in the House and 60-28 in the Senate, will expire in six months unless renewed by congress. The bill is set to be debated further after the August recess.

8) A Monday morning collapse at the Crandall Canyon coal mine left six men trapped 1,500 feet below the surface and 3.4 miles from the entrance. It also raised questions about owner Robert Murray and the allegedly unsafe practices that caused the collapse. Murray maintains that it was an earthquake that caused the collapse, but geologists have said otherwise. The men have yet to be found.

9) Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron̢۪s record after hitting homerun No. 756, making him the new home run record-holder. Steroids allegations did not stop Bonds, who continues to smash records.

10) President Bush is set to visit family in Maine before returning to his ranch for half a month in the middle of this month. The break of the President and the U.S. Congress this August is more controversial than usual because Iraq’s parliament in Baghdad didn’t pay much attention to the pressure put on them to work through the summer. They went on vacation for a month starting July 30. Former Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein said that the pressure to remain working has always been an issue. “Whether you’re in congress or the White House, you must give the impression that you’re working and not tanning, that you’re at your desk and not at the beach,â€Â Duberstein told Bloomberg.com.

Fresno State:

1) Forget the comparisons between an Apple and PC, the newest Fresno State ad brings on the UC and Fresno State debate. Fresno State took a page from this year̢۪s Super Bowl commercials and turned to students to come up with a jingle and commercial for the university. The online contest had students posting their ideas on YouTube. The winning student, Bryan Harley, parodied the latest apple commercials to a tee. The result was comical and informative. For more information and to view the commercial visit I Am Fresno State or YouTube.

2) ‘I’ll believe it when I see it types’ check out this live web cam of the Henry Madden Library, it’s been coming along this summer. With completion set for Fall 2008, construction crews are working for hours on end.

3) On June 9, former Fresno State volleyball coach Lindy Vivas was awarded $5,852,069, winning a suit for retaliation under Title IX. Federal law bars gender discrimination in school sports. Two other women who formerly worked in the athletic department have filed similar suits. As a result, Sen. Dean Florez is proposing legislation that would force compliance to gender equity in both budget and treatment.

4) Fresno State President John D. Welty gave a statement in response to the allegations caused by Vivas winning her suit, particularly from Sen. Florez. President Welty said that he has worked hard to make the campus a place of diversity, fairness and understanding. “So let me say this clearly, I do not and I have not tolerated discrimination at Fresno State,â€Â Welty said. “This commitment is core to who I am as University President.â€Â

5) Sixteen tasters will be split into two panels: supertasters and non-tasters. Supertasters have a rare genetic trait that makes them more sensitive and able to taste things that others cannot. Research showing that people can be divided into three separate taste groups depending on their sensitivity to certain taste levels has sparked in interest in figuring out how this affects the taste and experience of drinking wine. The tests are being run by an enology research team from the Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC) at Fresno State. For more information about volunteering, contact Caryn Chachulski.

6) Fresno State researchers and geography students use a 16-foot-long orange blimp to measure ozone levels in an effort to determine whether there are toxic levels. By using the blimp, which also measures air pressure, wind speed, direction and relative humidity, geography students get hands on experience. The findings will be published and sent to policymakers.

7) Lot V is still closed as the school year starts. The lot won̢۪t be re-opened until after the Sept. 27 completion. When finished, more than 700 spaces will be covered with electricity-generating solar panels. They won̢۪t only provide shade, but will be capable of generating up to 20 percent of the university̢۪s electrical needs. The construction has been going on since March and is an $11.9 million partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions. To take a look at construction, you can view a live webcam.

8) With the first game set for Sept. 1, it is time for dedicated sports fans to buy tickets and find out what̢۪s in store for the coming season. Luckily, gobulldogs.com makes all of that possible with a few clicks of the mouse. Check it out.

9) Remodeling in Room 160 of the Speech Arts building led to a temporary scare of asbestos debris floating in the air on Aug. 13. However, a few hours later, it was determined that the leftover smell was from plastic and not asbestos debris.

10) Students who used csufresno.edu for their main e-mail account most likely had a problem with space. With only 10 MB of memory, erasing on a regular basis was vital. Now, students will get 50 times more space. A 500 MB account should make life a little easier, at least when it comes to e-mail.