NATION IN BRIEF

Extinct animal’s DNA unraveled

Scientists for the first time have unraveled much of the genetic code of an extinct animal, the ice age’s woolly mammoth, and with it they are thawing Jurassic Park dreams. Their achievement, being published today in the journal Nature, has them contemplating a once unimaginable future when certain prehistoric species might one day be resurrected. “It could be done. The question is … should we do it?” said Stephan Schuster, a Penn State University biochemistry professor and co-author of the new research. “I would be surprised to see if it would take more than 10 or 20 years.”

Court to weigh gay marriage ban

The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to hear three legal challenges to the state’s new ban on same-sex marriage but refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules. The lawsuits seek to nullify Proposition 8, a voter-approved constitutional amendment that overruled the court’s decision in May that legalized gay marriage. All three cases claim the measure abridges the civil rights of a vulnerable minority group, and they argue that voters alone did not have the authority to enact such a significant constitutional change. The court did not elaborate on why it took the cases, but the justices did say they want to address what effect, if any, a ruling upholding the amendment would have on the estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages that were sanctioned in California before Election Day.

Tip foils possible landmarks threat

A man who mentioned the White House and other landmarks to a Baltimore taxi driver before boarding a Washington-bound commuter train with an assault rifle was captured Wednesday after breaking an ankle while running from two police officers. Police said they arrested Asa Seeley, 25, of Baltimore, who was taken into police custody for treatment at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

MLK memorial gets help from Clinton

Organizers of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial say former President Bill Clinton will help raise funds to complete the project on the National Mall in Washington. The group announced Wednesday that Clinton will receive the foundation’s “Humanitarian Award” and will keynote a Jan. 8 dinner in Miami to help raise money for the memorial. The memorial foundation so far has raised $100 million of the $120 million needed to complete the project.

Racy photo sparks teacher’s arrest

A former Texas Sunday school teacher was arrested this week on charges of distributing harmful material to a minor after the parents of a 14-year-old San Antonio boy found a topless photo of her on his cellphone and racy letters in which she professed her love. Victoria Ann Chacon, 27, also a former middle school teacher, allegedly met the boy at their church, where she was teaching Sunday school.