March 31, 2010

The U.S. Postal Service is launching a new web site to help businesses and households understand its plan for five-day-a-week mail delivery. The Postal Service has officially asked the Postal Regulatory Commission for a ruling on the proposal to end Saturday mail delivery beginning next year. Congress could step in with legislation to prevent the cost-cutting effort. Source Link 

Stress in the workplace can mean a bigger waistline. A study of nearly 3,000 middle-aged white collar men showed that those with chronic stress from increased workloads and less control on the job were heavier than average. Researchers say results showed that exercise can ease the risk, but those who veg out in front of the TV after a hard day at work had the biggest numbers. Source Link

Some of the nation's top scientific minds will turn their attention to the problem of unintended acceleration in automobiles. The U.S. Transportation Department has asked the National Academy of Sciences to look into the issue. At the same time, the Transportation Secretary says engineers from NASA will be looking into the possible causes of such problems that have been reported in Toyota vehicles. Source Link

March 30, 2010

Uncle Sam will begin selling the stake it owns in Citigroup. The 7.7 billion shares were given to the government in exchange for $25 billion in bailout money that was floated to Citigroup during the banking crisis in 2008. The U.S. Treasury says taxpayers could see about $7.5 billion in profit from the sale. Source Link

More than eight of out ten Americans say the middle class will have to make financial sacrifices to reduce the federal budget deficit, but just don't raise their income taxes or put new limits on Social Security and Medicare. The Quinnipiac University poll says the majority think other spending cuts and new taxes on those who earn more than $250,000 a year are the way to trim the federal budget deficit. Source Link

Forget Pompeii - the next great natural disaster in Italy involving a volcano could be more wet and wild than hot and steamy. The president of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology told a leading newspaper there that an undersea volcano deep in the Mediterranean near Naples is at risk of collapsing. That could trigger a tsunami that would engulf southern Italy, including the island of Sicily. Source Link

March 29, 2010

The Final Four of the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament is now set. Duke will be playing in the national semifinals against East Regional champion West Virginia. Fifth-seeded Michigan State is on the way to their second straight Final Four to take on Tennessee when the tournament pulls into Indianapolis on Saturday. Source Link

It's heart-healthy benefits are well-known, but now there's another advantage to the Mediterranean Diet -- this one for would-be families. Researchers think it may improve the odds of getting pregnant. A study from the Netherlands suggests that the Omega-3 acids found in fish and good fats like olive oil can help the female body produce the hormones that manage ovulation. Source Link

Chalk up a new tool for the next generation of CSI's. University researchers in Colorado say bacteria from your hands that's left on the things we touch is individually unique and can be traced to you. The technique could someday be employed by crime investigators much as DNA samples and fingerprints are used now. Source Link

March 26, 2010

America's drivers are not the speed demons you may think. GPS maker TomTom says data from their units in cars nationwide shows that even drivers in the fastest states tend to stay near the speed limit range. The biggest lead foots can be found in the nation's mid-section. Mississippi, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah and Alabama top the list, with average interstate highway speeds near 70 miles per hour. Source Link

The purse dog may not be a modern phenomenon after all.  A genetic study has traced the origin of small dogs back 12,000 years ago. It shows the small dog is closely related to a species of Middle Eastern grey wolf. Researchers think the pint-sized pooch became popular in the congested big cities of the ancient world. Source Link

Major League Baseball squads in Florida and Arizona are heading into their last full weekend of Spring training exhibition contests. The regular season begins on Easter Sunday with a marquee matchup in New York's Yankee Stadium, where the defending World Series champions and the Boston Red Sox will resume their perennial rivalry. Source Link

March 23, 2010

President Obama is signing into law a sweeping health insurance reform measure that passed by a seven-vote margin in the House of Representatives on Sunday. Democratic supporters say the effort is as historic as the passage of Social Security and Medicare, but Republican opponents say Democrats haven't heard the last of the health care debate. Source Link

A new piece of computer hardware may be Hollywood's biggest enemy. The new super router destined for some of the nation's biggest Internet service providers is super fast. Some say the equipment has the capability to boost home Internet download speeds to the point where pirated full-length movie files could be swapped online in a matter of seconds. Source Link

Has snacking become a full-time activity for America’s kids? A University of North Carolina study says children these days are close to “constant eating.” Salty snacks and candy are more popular now. The researchers say the average child gets over a quarter of their daily calories from things like desserts and sweetened drinks. Source Link

March 22, 2010

The U.S. House of Representatives held a rare Sunday session to debate passage of a controversial overhaul of the nation's health insurance system. In the end, supporters of the plan turned enough Democratic "no" votes to "yes" to win passage.  Source Link

Modern technology is making it even easier to know when the elderly have fallen and can't get up. A maker of home medic-alert systems is unveiling a model that uses motion-sensing accelerometers in a pendant that can tell when someone who's wearing it has fallen. The device is said to be 95-percent accurate in determining when a fall has occured and the person does not stand up right away. Source Link


Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin could be America's next reality TV star. The Hollywood Reporter says the 2008 vice-presidential candidate is pitching a program entitled "Sarah Palin's Alaska" that would take viewers on a tour of the 49th State. Palin has teamed up with "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett to create the concept that's being shopped to several cable channels. Source Link

March 19, 2010

President Obama has scrapped plans for a multi-nation trip to the Pacific. Instead he'll stay in Washington this weekend as a final vote may be near on health insurance reform. Supporters and critics on Capitol Hill are reviewing the new final language of the measure that tries to strike a compromise between House and Senate versions of the effort to expand health care coverage for millions of Americans. Source Link

Would it be alright to not have mail delivered tomorrow -- or any other Saturday from now on? A USA Today/Gallup poll says a majority of Americans could accept five-day-a-week mail delivery. The Postal Service plans to ask Congress for permission to end Saturday delivery to fill a gaping budget hole. The survey showed little support for raising stamp prices or closing post offices to span the funding shortfall. Source Link

Does having a great "Mr. Mom" in the family make the real one feel less capable? A new study suggests that when both spouses work, women whose husbands have good child-rearing skills feel less confident and capable in their own abilities. Researchers think the "Supermom" syndrome is to blame, because some mothers feel they're not doing enough if fathers are doing a good job on their own with the kids. Source Link

March 18, 2010

Businesses that hire unemployed workers will get a break on their Social Security payroll taxes through the end of the year under a measure that's now been approved by both houses of Congress. The bill also includes $20 billion in new funding for highway and transit programs, just as the spring construction season gets underway. Source Link

That's what friends are for -- now Facebook has surpassed Google as the most visited web site. The latest numbers show the social networking site inching past the world's most popular search engine for the top spot. It's the first time Facebook has topped Google in the weekly rankings. Together, the two sites account for about 14% of all web visits. Source Link

NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is going back to his roots in North Carolina, not as a player but as a team owner. The league's Board of Governors has approved Jordan's $275 million bid to become majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan's playing days in North Carolina culminated with a last-second shot that won the Tar Heels the NCAA basketball championship in 1982. Source Link

March 17, 2010

Tiger Woods says he'll return to professional golf and compete in the Masters tournament next month. Woods is a four-time Masters champion, with his last victory at Augusta National in 2005. He's been off the pro tour since last November when a sex scandal erupted. His admissions of marital infidelity led Woods to undergo treatment for sexual addiction. Source Link
 

More changes are in store for the nation's highest court. U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has told New Yorker magazine that he'll decide soon when he'll retire, but it will be sometime during President Obama's current term in office. Stevens has served on the high court since 1975 and is the senior member of the liberal contingent on the bench. He turns 90 next month. Source Link

The U.S. Army is adapting basic training to prepare soldiers for the challenges of fighting a war like the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Boot camp will no longer include bayonet drills. Instead, recruits will learn more ways to fight with their hands. New physical training will de-emphasize the long-distance run and focus more on building core muscle strength needed for carrying heavy equipment or moving injured comrades. Source Link

March 16, 2010

Check your mailbox for the 2010 Census form. About 120 million of them are being delivered this week. The 10-question survey is the main tool used for the once-a-decade national head count that determines how many congressional seats each state gets, along with their share of some $400 billion in federal funding. Households that don't complete the mail-in form can expect a visit from a live census taker in May or June. Source Link

Is there such a thing as too much exercise for your heart? Greek researchers say a study of marathon runners showed increased stiffness of the arteries that can set the stage for high blood pressure or even heart attacks. There's no risk associated with the typical workout, but it could be proof that extreme exercise can do more harm than good.  Source Link 

A Green Bay Packers fan says his devotion to the football team may have saved his life. For years, Jim Becker sold his blood to be able to afford season tickets to Packers games. Doctors later told Becker he had a potentially fatal blood condition that was eased by his excess donations. Becker has been named to the Packers Fan Hall of Fame. Source Link

March 15, 2010

Another blow for those who think that childhood vaccines are to blame for autism. Three judges say scientific studies prove that a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines does not cause autism. Anti-vaccine groups claim they can't get a fair hearing because the federal court rulings come from government studies of a government-backed program. Source Link

Electronic books will find a new voice in the latest gadget from Apple. The makers of the new iPad tablet say the device will use voice technology to read aloud e-book files that can be downloaded. But authors may cry foul because they're not compensated for the spoken word translations of their works as they would be when an audio book is published. Source Link

Bracket sheets are filling up today as the field is now set for the NCAA Men's college basketball tournament. Top seeds Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse will lead the way when regional match-ups get into full swing beginning Thursday. The March Madness culminates with the national championship game to be played in Indianapolis on April 5th. Source Link

March 12, 2010

Is too much the nation’s food supply controlled by too few companies? Federal regulators are in Iowa to meet with farmers, agribusiness leaders and critics who claim that a handful of companies have a virtual monopoly on meat processing and seed sales, and that hurts consumers and producers alike. Source Link

A new study suggests that secondhand smoke can contribute to the beginning of heart disease for children as young as 13. Researchers in Finland found that youngsters exposed to secondhand smoke can exhibit the first signs of hardened arteries. Source Link

From the small screen to the big stage, former late night host Conan O’Brien is taking his act on the road. The comedian has announced a 30-city coast-to-coast tour of a live theater show that will include many of the regulars who were ousted along with O’Brien when NBC gave his Tonight Show hosting job back to Jay Leno. Source Link

March 11, 2010

Drivers nationwide can expect the price of a gallon of gas to top $3 this year. An Energy Department report says rising oil prices, the added cost of producing special summer fuel blends and more consumption are expected to push up prices at the pump just in time for the peak driving season. Source Link

Some of the nation’s biggest cable and satellite TV companies are asking the FCC to set new rules to handle disputes about paying for retransmission of local TV stations. Last Sunday millions of cable subscribers in the New York area lost their local ABC station before the Oscar telecast when the cable operator and network owners could not agree on program fees. Source Link

The first 3-D televisions are now on sale. For about $3,000, you get a 50-inch plasma screen TV, one pair of 3-D viewing glasses and a 3-D Blu Ray player. What’s not on store shelves yet is much in the way of programming to show off the 3-D features of the new televisions, but Hollywood studios are scrambling to put more 3-D movies on disc. Source Link

March 10, 2010

Taxpayers who are struggling to give Uncle Sam his due in these tough economic times are getting a break from the IRS. The agency says it will make it easier for those who have lost their jobs or taken big pay cuts  to settle back-due taxes for less than the amount owed. Source Link

Global warming may really be something to sneeze at. A study by Italian researchers suggests higher average temperatures are lengthening the pollen season for some plants and trees, meaning more misery for allergy sufferers. Source Link

The nation’s big college teams are taking their first step on the Road to the Final Four with tournament play that’s underway now. The league championships determine about half the field of 64 for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament that starts next week. Source Link

March 9, 2010

The makers of a new genetic test claim it can help determine the most successful diet plan for you. The $149 test looks for genetic markers that can indicate whether a low-carb, low-fat or combination diet is the best for you. Source Link

Does living together before marriage make the union last longer? A government study of marriage records says it’s less likely that it’ll last 10 years or more if the couple co-habits first.  About one-in-ten U.S. adults live together without legal vows. Source Link 

Billboard Magazine says the group U2 was the top touring act of 2009, with $108 million in ticket sales.  Rock veterans were the biggest earners; four of the Top 5 touring acts were solo performers or groups that debuted at least a quarter-century ago. Source Link

March 8, 2010

The Pentagon says the benefits of social media outweigh any risks associated with letting military personnel join the digital conversation. The Defense Department is reversing its ban on access to social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Source Link

New research suggests that an overabundance of bacteria in the digestive system could contribute to obesity. The next step for scientists is to determine what combination of bacteria types can trigger weight gain in humans. Source Link 

A thriller about an Iraq war bomb squad is the best picture of 2009. The Hurt Locker won the Academy Award Sunday night in Hollywood. Other Oscar winners included Best Actor Jeff Bridges and Best Actress Sandra Bullock. Source Link

March 5, 2010

Mortgage holders who owe more than their house is worth will have an extra year to take advantage of the federally-backed Home Affordable Refinancing Program. The effort has been extended until June 2011. Source Link

Those stockpiles of unused H1N1 vaccine may come in handy for the next flu season. The World Health Organization says the leftover swine flu doses could be mixed in a three-way vaccine to battle other flu strains expected to hit later this year.   Source Link

A California company is touting the latest in safety gear at baseball spring training this year. The XProTex batting glove has special composite padding that protects big league hands from 100-mile-an-hour fastballs.  Source Link