Last month, we pointed out a news story that sounded suspiciously like the plot of a 30 Rock episode: a very rich man was forced to sell off his doll collection—just as 30 Rock's proto-CEO Jack Donaghy had to surrender his beloved cookie jar collection a few seasons back.

This week we have two more headlines that evoke plotlines of the NBC sitcom: New York has a new subway hero: a young man who pulled a fellow commuter from the tracks of the 6 train on Sunday. The story harkens back to a 30 Rock episode in season two, when Liz Lemon's ex-boyfriend Dennis Duffy becomes a mini-celebrity for saving someone from being hit by an oncoming train. Hopefully this weekend's real-life Subway Hero won't follow in Dennis' footsteps: at the end of the episode, desperate to hold onto his fading hero status, he almost throws Liz into the tracks so he can save her and thus be a hero again.

And then there's the news that Minnesota Senator Al Franken is opposing cable company Comcast's merger with NBC ... just as fictional Rhode Island Congresswoman Regina Bookman (played by Queen Latifah) is fighting against a "KableTown"-NBC merger in this season of 30 Rock. Given Franken's background in entertainment, chances are he'll be able to grandstand as well as Latifah: