Nikki Haley Refuses Polygraph • Testosterone Levels Affect Trust

• Gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley has refused to take a lie detector test, which would supposedly prove whether she had a one night stand with lobbyist Larry Merchant. She has also been accused of having an affair with a blogger.

Hadley continues to deny their allegations, and so far, neither man has been able to prove any sexual contact occurred. Merchant has taken a polygraph test, but the results were inconclusive. • A FDA advisory panel is considering approving a new morning after pill that would be effective for five days after sex. The pill is already sold in 21 European countries under the name ellaOne. Currently, the only morning-after pill available in the U.S. is Plan B. • A 25-year-old woman was killed by lightning during a hike in the North Carolina mountains. Bethany Lott died on Friday, and her boyfriend, Richard Butler, who had taken her into the mountains to propose, suffered third degree burns. • French president Nicolas Sarkozy has reportedly banned tall bodyguards, most likely because they make him look tiny in comparison. Sarkozy stands at just 5’5″, unlike his statuesque wife, who rings in at 5’10”. • 16 school girls in Afghanistan have been hospitalized after another apparent attack on a high school. The teenagers are recuperating well, but all 16 lost consciousness at some point on Tuesday. Police are investigating the source of the poison. • Though lung cancer rates have dropped among men, they continue to rise among women, and doctors think they might finally have figured out why: Estrogen. Researchers suspect that certain forms of estrogen can help create genetic mutations in lung cells. Studies with mice have led some doctors to conclude that enzymes that convert estrogen may be responsible for tumors. • The European Commission has asked Italy to balance out a discrepancy between retirement ages for men and women by 2012. They have asked Italian lawmakers to raise the retirement age for women working in the public sector from 60 to 65. • New research suggests that lumpectomies, the standard treatment for women with early-stage breast cancer, might not be necessary. The surgery, which involves removing the underarm lymph nodes, did not prolong survival or prevent recurrence of breast cancer, according to a long-term study on 991 women. • A recent 10-year study found that girls who drink soda at the age of five are more likely to have unhealthy diets, an effect that is visible into their teenage years. These girls are also less likely to drink milk, leading to calcium deficiencies, and they tend to have a substantially lower Vitamin C intake. • Lawmakers are considering amending a bill that currently bans abortions in all overseas military hospitals. Under the new law, doctors would be allowed to perform abortions, but the women would have to pay for the entire procedure up front and would receive no government help. Anti-choicers are, unsurprisingly, opposed and rather vocal about that fact. • As you might expect, sex shops in Bahrain operate under strange rules. For instance, they can’t sell vibrators, but vibrating cock rings are fair game. • Studies have shown that oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” is essential in developing trust. However, only recently have scientists discovered the antidote to the feel-good chemical. Researchers believe that testosterone acts in the opposite way, making those of us who trust too easily a little more suspicious. Interestingly, participants who were already fairly untrusting showed little response to the testosterone drops. • British women are more likely to suffer the full range of menopause symptoms than their similarly-aged peers in America, Canada, China and Japan. Researchers believe some of the difference in symptoms could have to do with soy consumption – which may lessen hot flashes – but some of the problem might have to do with stress. • Pennsylvania police have arrested two women for charges stemming from a recent suicide attempt. The twins tried to kill themselves by lighting a gas stove, thus putting the other people in the apartment building in danger. “They could have blown up the whole building,” remarked the police superintendent. “It could have been more tragic than initially their intention was.” •