Fred Thompson ambles back to the sidelines

“Some of his higher-profile backers had jumped ship before Thompson officially abandoned it. Earlier today, ex-New York Sen. Al D’Amato — who like many Republican leaders had not so many months ago viewed Thompson as the candidate who could magically cure what ailed the GOP presidential field — switched allegiance to John McCain. (D’Amato seems mainly motivated this campaign season to sidetrack fellow New Yorker Rudy Giuliani, long a political foe.)”

“Thompson leaves the race having secured all of five convention delegates and amid speculation that at some point he’ll endorse McCain (a Senate colleague in the 1990s). But he never developed much of a cadre of committed supporters, so those who were leaning his way in upcoming primaries may well scatter to different candidates. A state senator in Georgia who had been backing him, for instance, on Monday switched to Mitt Romney.”

One-glass limit might be on tap for offenders

“A bill before the Missouri Legislature would essentially limit people convicted of drunken driving to one glass of wine with dinner if they need to drive home. They also might have to be careful when using Listerine.”

“An ignition interlock prevents a driver from starting a car if his breath registers an alcohol content above a level of about 0.02 percent. Missouri’s legal driving limit is 0.08 percent.”

Seeking Room to Rock Where Cost of Space Just Keeps Rising

“In other cities, some groups in the hunt for affordable rehearsal space might begin as ‘garage bands.’ But few people in New York City have their own garages, and musicians say that finding an affordable place to practice is as much of a challenge for performers who make a living in music as it is for part-timers and amateurs.”

“The study identified another problem for musicians: finding affordable and suitable places to perform. Based on the survey, NYC Performing Arts Spaces concluded that unless the city arranged tax incentives similar to those it offers for film and television production, there would be fewer places for musicians to appear. Ms. Cowan said there could also be fewer musicians, because performers might move to places where rehearsing and playing in public are less costly.”

Patrick fund-raising arrangement skirts law

“Governor Deval Patrick has set up a novel political fund-raising system that allows him to skirt the state’s campaign finance law by channeling big contributions through the state Democratic Party, which, in turn, has paid off hundreds of thousands of dollars of the governor’s political expenses.”

“The system has been deemed legal by state campaign finance regulators. But advocates of campaign finance reform and other analysts say Patrick and the Democratic Party are using loopholes that vastly increase the potential influence of special-interest campaign money on the governor.”

“‘This program is just one of the ways we’re establishing a strong Democratic infrastructure in every precinct across Massachusetts,’ she said in the statement.”

For sale: 4 bed, 3.5 bath, 1 scandal

“Florida law requires only that real estate agents disclose defects that ‘may materially affect the physical health or safety’ of occupants, said Deborah Farmer, president of the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors.”

“The law specifies that a homicide does not have to be disclosed, and agents can’t be held liable if they don’t disclose it.”

Pet control overwhelms city police

“Police Chief Kevin Kotsur said animal-control-service calls have risen considerably and are taking up too much of officers’ time.”

“‘Some of our customers are accustomed to calling the animal-control officers at times when they really aren’t supposed to be calling for our service, and because of their dedication to their profession, they (officers) have responded to do what they could,‘Kotsur said.”

‘I could have been a gigolo … I had opportunities’

“‘I could have been a gigolo,’ he says. ‘In the ’50s and ’60s I had lots of opportunities to be with very wealthy women from Lake Shore Drive and have no worries. They said I’m dumb, stupid … for not staying with them. But I had so many choices and the young ladies were important to me. I have no regrets.’”

“‘Some customers would drink so much it wasn’t worth it,’ Ike says. ‘So I keep the place the same. Just haircuts and shaves. Casual. People like that.’”

Man shot in rescue from Crocodile

“The two farmhands were collecting wild crocodile eggs on a riverbank Tuesday in Northern Territory when a crocodile snatched one of them, Jason Green, by the arm, the Northern Territory Police said in a statement.”

“Police could provide no information about the crocodile’s condition.”