"If you briefly clicked by Al Jazeera International on television, you might mistake it for the BBC," the Project for Excellence in Journalism's Dante Chinni writes, citing AJI's "understated, clean graphics," "more-global view of the news," and its anchors' British accents. But AJI has "an Arab voice" and trumpets its "fearless journalism." "In a story the channel did about its own launch ... it happily pointed out that everyone criticizes Al Jazeera.

Bucking intense restaurant industry opposition, New York City has banned all added trans fats in restaurant food. The ban was passed by the city's Board of Health on December 6, 2006, and takes effect in July 2007. Donut makers get a one-year reprieve in order to find a substitute oil for the deep-fried dough. The board's action also included a requirement that restaurant chains post nutritional information.