A history book that was taken by a Union soldier from a Lexington, Virginia college's library in 1864 was returned in February by the inheritor of the item.

The Leyburn Library of Washington and Lee University, formerly Washington College, did not charge fines for the first volume of W.F.P. Napier's "History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France," which was 145 years overdue.

The Hotelicopter Company announced today it has created the world's first flying hotel. Housed in the largest helicopter ever produced are 18 luxury guest rooms and even a spa.

The Hotelicopter is modeled after the Soviet-made helicopter Mil V-12. There were only two prototypes of this ever made, and the founders of the company bought one in 2004. The original prototype had its first flight in Russia in 1968 and still holds several flight records, according to a statement from The Hotelicopter Company.

Immigrants in the U.S. are more daring to start a business compared to native born Americans, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity released recently.

The updated figures confirms previous study's findings that immigrants were more likely to open a business measured by their entrepreneurial activity rate which increased to 0.46 percent among immigrants in 2007 from 0.37 percent in 2006.

More states are joining a growing move to stop death penalties because of the high cost involved. The move, spearheaded by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, has on its side the states of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Hampshire which are pushing for legislations that will repeal the death penalty.

O'Malley said death penalties cost three times compared to homicide cases. With the economic crisis gripping the nation, previous death penalty advocates like New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, are reconsidering their position.

After hitting KFC since 2003 with the way the fast food chain slaughters its chicken, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will include again in its target McDonalds.

The bone of contention is which method is the more humane way to slaughter chicken - using an electric jolt or gassing them? PETA maintains the gas causes less suffering to the fowl.