* WINNER: Utah. It's among the four top states in the nation in terms of the potential to attract new business. That's the word this week from an independent research organization in Washington, D.C. called Corporation for Enterprise Development. The other top states: Colorado, Maryland and Washington. The standards for judgment include a healthy mix of industries and whether a state has a large portion of fast-growing companies.

* WINNERS: Utah women. The American Cancer Society reports that Utah's rate for breast cancer is far below the national mean and estimates that the number of new cases of breast cancer in Utah this year will be among the lowest in the nation.* WINNERS: Former smokers. A new study at the University of California confirms that smokers who quit don't necessarily gain weight. The finding deprives smokers of an old excuse for not kicking the habit. The same study also confirms that smoking contributes to cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease. Get the message, smokers?

LOSER: Hollywood. Despite repeated studies confirming the health hazards of smoking, film makers still try to depict the habit as glamorous. A recent study concludes that the extent of tobacco use in movies has remained fairly constant for at least 30 years. Meanwhile, the incidence of smoking among the general population has declined. Get with it, Hollywood!

LOSERS: The animal-rights activists who broke open the wolf exhibit at Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minn., then called the news media to boast of their blow for lupine liberation. One problem: The wolves, born and raised in captivity, stayed put, even ignoring a trail of raw beef left to lure them to freedom.

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LOSER: The federal administrative law judge who recently ruled that a Montana rancher could not claim self-defense in killing a grizzly bear that was about to attack the rancher after it attacked his sheep. The judge held that a claim of self-defense in the killing of a bear brings into play the same standard used in criminal law in the death of a human being. In other words, human life is no more important than animal life. Incredible!

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