A contest sponsored by the Service Employees International Union is calling on Americans to share their ideas on how to help the economy grow and create better-paying jobs. The winning idea is worth $100,000 and two runners-up will claim a second prize of $50,000 each. SEIU President Andrew Stern says the country needs new ideas on strengthening the economy and compete in the fast-changing international marketplace - ordinary Americans are the best people to provide those ideas.

Only in America can one swear the oath of citizenship and win almost $2 million dollars a few hours later. That very thing happened to Moses Bittok of West Des Moines, who discovered he had a winning lottery ticket later that day. "It's almost like you adopted a country and then they netted you $1. 8 million," says Bittok, who cashed in the winning ticket Monday. "It doesn't happen anywhere. . . I guess only in America. "

In Cuba, many women are paying top dollar to marry foreigners in arranged ceremonies in order to leave their country. In some cases, the bride to be doesn't even get to meet her arranged groom until the day of the wedding. The arranged marriages come with a hefty price, though. The going rate for an America, Canadian, European, or Mexican groom is about $5,000. 00. A Costa Rican willing to marry can accept about $2,000. 00 and a Peruvian at the best bargain is at only $800. 00.

While representing America at the World Swimming Championships Friday, diver Chelsea Davis smacked her head on the diving board. During the 3-meter springboard preliminaries Davis was attempting an inward 2

New research finds sea birds are responsible for the transportation of industrial and agricultural pollutants to the Arctic. A recent study shows the levels of one important class of industrial chemicals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are 30 times higher in Canadian Inuits living north of the Arctic circle, than in residents of temperate Quebec.