Da Vinci drawings are not damaged, officials say

Da Vinci drawings are not damaged, officials say

MILAN, Italy — Fears that mold has infiltrated Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, the largest collection of drawings and writings by the Renaissance master, are groundless, officials said Tuesday.

The Biblioteca Ambrosiana, where the roughly 1,120-page Codex is housed, said a microbiologic analysis of the document excludes “a biological onslaught.”

Some scholars warned last year that the Codex, which contains drawings and writings from 1478-1519 on topics ranging from flying machines to weapons, mathematics and botany, had been infiltrated by mold.

But studies showed that black stains that appeared to be mold were in fact caused by mercury salts added as a disinfectant to protect the Codex from just such a “biological and microbiological onslaught,” the library said in a statement. And the black stains were detected not on the Codex itself, but on outer paper added as support in 1970-73.

Britney Spears case declared a mistrial

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears’ driver’s license case has been declared a mistrial.

A jury foreman announced that the panel failed to agree after four votes about whether the singer was guilty of driving without a valid driver’s license, a misdemeanor. Jurors got the case Friday morning, and the stalemate was announced Tuesday. They deliberated more than eight hours.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James A. Steele thanked the jurors for their service and ended the trial. A prosecutor did not immediately indicate whether Spears would be retried. The 26-year-old singer faced jail time and a fine if convicted.

Hulk Hogan’s son freed from jail after crash term

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The 18-year-old son of Hulk Hogan has been released from jail in Florida after serving five months for causing a serious traffic crash.

Nick Bollea was released from the Pinellas County Jail on Tuesday morning. He had pleaded no contest in May to causing the crash.

Bollea was arrested last year after authorities say he sped on a busy street and crashed his father’s car, leaving a friend and former Marine permanently disabled.

Bollea could have faced five years in prison, but the victim’s family requested a lesser sentence.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Joan Fontaine is 91. Actor Christopher Lloyd is 70. Actress Annette Funicello is 66. Actress Catherine Deneuve is 65. Actor Jeff Goldblum is 56. Christian singer TobyMac (dc Talk) is 44. Comedian Carlos Mencia is 41. Country singer Shelby Lynne is 40. Reggae rapper Shaggy is 40. Drummer Zac Hanson of Hanson is 23. Actor Jonathan Lipnicki is 18.