August 31, 2010

Coastal residents from North Carolina to Maine are being warned to watch the forecasts for Hurricane Earl as it moves in the Atlantic Ocean. Earl has raked the northeastern Caribbean and could approach the Mid-Atlantic coast in few days, before curving back out to sea and landing a glancing blow to coastal areas of New England. Source Link
 

Could your cell phone take the place of that credit card in your wallet? The Reuters news service says a pilot project kicking off this week in New York City has Bank of America and Visa teaming up to let customers skip the plastic swipe. The testers will use smartphones equipped with a special chip to make transactions by waving their phone over a credit card reader. Source Link
 

If spinning, kickboxing drills and the such don’t appeal to you, why not try the latest exercise variation on an established sport. Cardio tennis has you chasing that fuzzy ball to a music beat, with the focus on raising your heart rate rather than accomplishing a successful return over the net. Proponents of cardio tennis say it can burn from 500 to 1000 calories an hour. Source Link

August 30, 2010

The federal government has pledged $1.8 billion to help rebuild the New Orleans school system that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina five years ago. The promise comes as the region is still working to recover from Katrina and is feeling the effects of a man-made disaster, with fishermen and oil workers struggling to get back on the job after the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Source Link

Less competition usually doesn’t mean lower prices, but that’s the case for the cell phone industry. A Government Accounting Office study shows that even as wireless carriers have consolidated over the past decade, the cost of service has fallen. The study says average prices for cell phone service are about half of what they were 10 years ago. Source Link

Sending astronauts to the planet Mars is more than just a space flight challenge. A medical study says the 10-month spaceflight to the Red Planet could turn healthy crew members into weaklings with the muscle mass of an 80-year old. Scientists need to develop new exercise techniques and equipment to keep Mars-bound astronauts fit. Source Link 

August 27, 2010

New Orleans is marking this weekend’s fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with commemorations and commitments to a better future. The Crescent City’s archbishop will lead clergy and government officials in an ecumenical burial service for Hurricane Katrina grief. And a local group is in the midst of building five new homes in 50 hours. Source Link 

It will truly be survival of the fittest for nearly three dozen men trapped a half-mile below ground after a mine collapse in Chile. The miners are being supplied with food packets, but the rescue shaft will only be about two feet wide, so no one with more than a 35-inch waist will fit. It could take up to four months to complete drilling the rescue shaft. Source Link

The biggest grossing movie in Hollywood history is ready to make the box office cash register ring again. “Avatar” in 3D returns to movie screens nationwide today with nine minutes of additional footage. Filmmaker James Cameron says the re-release will allow many to see the 3D version who didn’t get the chance when “Avatar” was edged out of theatres by other 3D films last spring. Source Link

August 26, 2010

In an uncertain economy, more Americans are paying down their plastic. The credit reporting agency TransUnion says the average amount consumers owe on their credit cards has dropped to the lowest level in more than eight years. More card holders are also making payments on time. The report says the typical credit card holder carries a balance of just under $5,000. Source Link

Amid fears that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill would kill tourism in Florida, there’s news that the number of visitors to the Sunshine State actually increased in the first few months after the offshore disaster. But tourism officials say the modest jump over last year’s numbers would have been much bigger if not for concerns about how the oil spill might impact Florida beaches. Source Link

After iPods, iPhones, and iPads, should we get ready to add another “I” to the list of gadgets from Apple? Media reports say the company will introduce “iTV” next month. The set-top box, rumored to sell for $99, would stream video from Apple’s iTunes Store to your television, and reportedly will offer commerical-free rentals of network TV episodes starting at 99-cents. Source Link

August 25, 2010

Record-low mortgage rates haven’t been able to help spur home sales. The National Association of Realtors says sales of existing homes in July dropped to their lowest rate in 15 years. The Midwest was the hardest hit, with sales plunging 35 percent. Many say the slowdown is fallout from increased sales that occurred before the federal homebuyer tax credit ended last spring. Source Link
 

They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the electric bills. The Lone Star State has set an all-time electric usage record as schools and universities were back in session this week, requiring air conditioning for thousands of classrooms. Temperatures have topped over 100 degrees in Houston, San Anotnio and Dallas, driving demand for more power. Source Link

A pet health insurance company has announced the winner of its annual contest to find the most unusual claim. Veterinary Pet Insurance Company says the award goes to a California Labrador Retriever that ate an entire bee hive with thousands of dead bees inside it. The runners-up included a border collie that crashed through a window to get to a mail carrier, and a terrier that tried to take a bite from a buzzing chainsaw. Source Link

August 24, 2010

The fourth named storm of this year’s Atlantic season is poised to become a hurricane. Danielle is steadily gaining strength as it approaches Bermuda. It’s expected to move toward the Atlantic seaboard and not threaten Florida or the key oil and gas producing areas in the Gulf of Mexico. So far this year, only one hurricane has made it into Gulf waters. Source Link

The divorce is final for Tiger Woods and his wife. The world’s number-one ranked golfer announced the official end of his marriage on his web site. No word on settlement terms for the divorce that was sparked by charges of infidelity on the part of Woods, who also suffered his worst season ever on the golf tour this year, winning no tournaments. Source Link

If you think your commute is slow, listen to this -- a 60-mile long traffic jam on a highway in China has slowed motorists to a crawl for nearly 10 days now. Local news reports say a combination of heavy truck traffic and road construction is plaguing the Beijing-Tibet Highway. The going is so slow that vendors are selling food and water to stranded drivers. Source Link

August 23, 2010

Government officials want a written plan for how BP will remove a failed piece of equipment that led to that massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The blowout preventer that didn’t do its job back on April 20th is a key piece of evidence for investigators looking into the cause of the spill.  A company test showed that the gear could be safely removed without risking a resumption of the oil leak. Source Link
 

There’s less “lighting up” happening on the silver screen. A study by the Centers for Disease Control says less than half of the 145 top movies released last year showed any smoking, the lowest in nearly two decades.  Still, more than half of PG-13 rated movies included smoking. Since 2007, smoking has been a factor that’s considered in assigning a movie rating. Source Link
 

Hollywood's love affair with octogenarian actress Betty White continues. The 88-year old comedienne has won an Emmy award for hosting “Saturday Night Live” back in May. White got the SNL gig when more than 500,000 people signed an online petition asking that she host, after her appearance in a popular commercial that debuted during this year’s Super Bowl telecast. Source Link

August 20, 2010

Research funded in part by the NFL shows a link between head injuries in sports and a condition that mimics ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The findings may explain why a higher percentage of professional football players are diagnosed with ALS. The study stopped short of saying whether head injuries suffered by Gehrig during his playing days led to the diagnosis nearly 70 years ago. Source Link
 

Searching the web for some celebrity news could get you much more than the latest gossip. The computer security company McAfee says malicious web sites often try to look like real celebrity destinations, only to infect visitors with with viruses. McAfee says this year’s most dangerous celebrity searches are for Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts and Jessica Biel. Source Link 


Have the producers of “American Idol” landed a rock legend to fill the spot left vacant with the departure of Simon Cowell? News reports say Aerosmith frontman Stephen Tyler has told friends that he’ll be joining the talent competition as a judge. America’s top-rated TV program is undergoing a major makeover at the judge’s table after Cowell stepped down. Source Link

August 19, 2010

President Barack Obama says the economy is coming around "slowly but surely” even as an Associated Press poll shows the President earning his lowest marks ever for handling the economy. Just 41% of those surveyed approve of the president's performance on the economy, but three-quarters also say it's unrealistic to expect noticeable economic improvements in the first 18 months of the president’s term. Source Link
 

The people who administer the ACT American College Test say only about one-in-four of this year’s high school graduates is fully prepared for college study. The 24 percent who passed the ACT’s english, reading, math and science sections is up slightly from last year. Nearly half of this year's high school graduates took the ACT. Source Link

First it was checked bag fees, then carry-on luggage charges, and now one U.S. airline is charging an extra fee for a front row seat. Number-two American Airlines is now charging between $19 and $39 for "Express Seats" in the first few rows of coach including bulkhead seats. The fee also gets you in the first group to board the aircraft. Source Link

August 18, 2010

Those information leaflets attached to every prescription you get filled are just as likely to confuse as are they are to educate you. A study that looked at prescription leaflets says they are often printed in small type and are cluttered with ads and coupons that make readability a real problem. There are no government rules dictating the content for prescription leaflets. Source Link

Younger Americans who may not have been brought up in church life are still more loyal to their religion as adults than are baby boomers. That from a study which says today’s more innovative options for churchgoing are attractive to younger attenders, and the generation raised in the counterculture of the 1960s is more likely to rebel against traditional faiths. Source Link

Want to feel old? Wisconsin’s Beloit College is out with its annual list of what’s “normal” for this year’s incoming freshman class. For the typical 18-year old, Russia has never posed a nuclear threat and cable TV has always been hundreds of channels. And few of the Class of 2014 own a wristwatch, because they’ve always carried cell phones that show the time of day. Source Link

August 17, 2010

As the environmental toll from the BP oil spill is easing, health experts are warning to be on the lookout for the impact on human health. In past oil spills, contact with oil and chemicals has been shown to affect the lungs, kidneys, and liver. And the mental strain of coping with the disaster can boost rates of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress for those lives are impacted by the spill. Source Link

Getting out of your seat could be the first step to a longer life. A new study shows that sitting six hours a day or more can decrease your life span, regardless of how much exercise you get at other times. Researchers say time spent sitting can change metabolism and raise the risk of obesity and cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Source Link

A pretty face will get you far, but it won’t open every door for a beautiful woman looking for a job. A new study says good looking women were at a disadvantage when seeking jobs considered to be “masculine,” such as manager of research and development, director of finance, mechanical engineer and construction supervisor. Good-looking men faced no such obstacles in any job search. Source Link 

August 16, 2010

Today marks the start of shrimp season on the Louisiana coast and it comes with some uncertainty about what the catch will be like this year after that underwater oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The leak has been capped for over a month now, but it’s unclear how the oil that remains in the Gulf waters will effect the quality or quantity of the ocean harvest. Source Link

The economic downturn of the Great Recession is being felt in the coffers of the Social Security trust fund. Officials say unemployment has meant that program costs will outstrip declining tax revenues for 2010 and 2011, but collections should rebound in 2012.  The long-term outlook calls for the trust fund to be exhausted in the year 2037. Source Link


Does tweeting and posting on Facebook make a company more trustworthy? A new survey says three out of four people are more trusting of companies that use social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook than those that do not. The findings come as companies like BP and Toyota have used social networking site to counter bad publicity. Source Link

August 13, 2010

It’s back to work on the final phase of drilling a relief line to permanently plug that leaking underwater oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. A tropical storm that threatened the site weakened, so crews got back to the job sooner. Once the drillers reach the blown-out line, crews will pump in mud and cement from beneath the break to secure the seal. Source Link

Should making broadband Internet service available and affordable for everyone be a top priority for government? More than half of Americans polled say “no.” The survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project flies in the face of the federal government's push to bring high-speed Internet access to 80 million Americans who are still on dial-up or not connected at all. Source Link 

Times Square in New York will be the scene for a group “kiss-in” and buglers across the country will play "Taps" on Saturday in the first national day of remembrance for the World War Two generation. The events come on the 65th anniversary of V-J Day, marking the victory over Japan that ended the war in 1945. Organizers hope to make it an annual celebration. Source Link

August 12, 2010

The federal government is adding $2 billion to a program to help the unemployed avoid home foreclosure. Seventeen hard-hit states will get funds for targeted unemployment programs that provide temporary assistance to eligible homeowners to help them pay their mortgage while they seek a job. Another program will provide interest-free two-year bridge loans for homeowners who have fallen behind on payments. Source Link

Over 140,000 persons on Facebook have shown their support for a fed-up flight attendant who quit his job by exiting a parked jetliner using the emergency escape chute. Steven Slater is free on bond after arraignment on criminal charges in the incident at JFK Airport on Monday. The 20-year veteran announced his resignation over the plane’s P.A. system after an encounter with a rude passenger. Source Link

Could there be a way to predict your risk of Alzheimer's disease? Researchers say they've devised a test using a spinal tap that’s 100% accurate in detecting Alzheimer’s in patients with memory loss before there are definite symptoms of the disease and when treatment is still an option. There’s no word on when the test may be available for general use. Source Link

August 11, 2010

Weather concerns are keeping crews from the home stretch to complete drilling of a relief well at that underwater oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Officials say the storm threat in the Gulf could postpone completion for a few days. Crews hope to drill into the ruptured line beneath the break and pump in mud and cement to permanently plug the oil well. Source Link

A new study shows that a bigger waistline size is linked to an increased risk of death, regardless of overall body weight. Those with the the most belly fat had twice the risk of premature death, even with a normal weight.  It’s believed that fat around the midsection produces hormones that can promote insulin resistance and throw off the body’s hormonal balance. Source Link

Job seekers take note -- researchers say that teetotalers have a better chance of being hired than those who are known to pick up a drink, whether or not they overindulge. In the study, hiring managers observing a test graded applicants poorly if they ordered a glass of wine instead of a soft drink in during a business meal that was part of a job interview. Source Link

August 10, 2010

The U.S. House of Representatives is taking a break from its summer vacation to vote on a stimulus bill that would restore jobs in classrooms nationwide. The $26 billion measure would give states money to re-hire laid-off teachers and other state and local workers. As many as 300,000 jobs could be restored with the new funding. Source Link

A week of temperatures near 100 degrees and smog created by wildfires are being blamed for hundreds of deaths each day in Moscow. News agencies say carbon monoxide and other pollutants are well above safe levels in the Russian capital. Most homes in Russia are not equipped with air conditioning and residents must keep windows open for relief from the heat. Source Link
 

Health experts are advising pet owners not to feed the dog or cat where family meals are prepared. That’s because of the risk of salmonella poisoning from dry pet food. CDC investigators say a number of outbreaks in recent years have been linked to contamination in dry dog or cat food. Keeping pet food dishes clean and away from small children can reduce the risk. Source Link

August 9, 2010

The official government forecast now calls for up to six major hurricanes this year, fewer than were expected because of a fairly quiet June and July. The most active hurricane period is mid-August through October, when the waters of the tropical Atlantic are at their warmest. This year there have been three named storms, only one of which gained hurricane strength. Source Link

Here’s some food for thought before you make that next sandwich. A new study claims that cold cuts increase the risk of bladder cancer. Researchers reporting in the journal Cancer say the culprits are nitrates and nitrites in the cold cuts. These are added to meat when it’s processed to preserve and enhance color and flavor. Source Link

Talk about “dumpster diving” -- in New York, a summer program is bringing swimming pools to the streets of midtown Manhattan using dumpsters that are fitted with liners and a surrounding deck. Reservations are needed but the swimming is free for hundreds who enjoy a cool dip each Saturday through the month of August. Source Link

August 6, 2010

Elena Kagan has been confirmed as the newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court. Kagan will be the fourth woman ever to serve on the nation’s highest court and the first Supreme Court justice in nearly 40 years with no experience as a judge. It will mark the first time in history that three women will serve together on the nine-member court. Source Link
 

A federal stimulus bill to provide $10 billion to rehire laid-off teachers is on track for final approval in Congress next week. The U.S. Senate passed the measure which also provides $16 billion for states to cover Medicaid costs, thus freeing up money for other budget priorities. Backers of the bill say it could save the jobs of 300,000 teachers, police and public workers. Source Link
 

Pregnant women who drink diet sodas may have an increased risk of premature birth, according to a new study. Both diet and regular sweetened soft drinks have been linked to an increase in blood pressure. The study says drinking four diet sodas a day could result in a one-in-four chance of delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Source Link

August 5, 2010

Two of the world's richest men have enlisted dozens of other billionaires to give at least half of their fortunes to charity. Warren Buffett and Bill Gates started the effort called “The Giving Pledge” which now includes New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, Star Wars creator George Lucas and energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens. The total pledges could amount to $150 billion. Source Link

A government investigation says some for-profit  colleges fail the test for students who are charged too much for too little education. Investigators posing as students were also encouraged to lie about savings and income to qualify for student loans. New rules could cut off federal loan money for schools that have too many students who cannot repay their loans. Source Link

Results of a new study offer a caution to women considering hormone treatments to ease the symptoms of menopause -- you could suffer even more if you ever stop the therapy. Researchers say after seven years, more women who stopped estrogen therapy suffered hot flashes, joint pain and stiffness than those who never started hormone treatments. Source Link

August 4, 2010

BP is in the midst of what could be the final effort to choke off that underwater oil well leak in the Gulf of Mexico. In what’s called “static kill,” crews are pumping drilling mud down into the well. It could be a week or more before officials know if the move puts an end to the biggest offshore oil leak in U.S. history. Source Link


America is packing on the pounds. A new survey by the Centers for Disease Control says nearly one out of four Americans is obese. That’s more than 72 million people. Nine states now report obesity rates of 30-percent or more. The CDC says obesity-related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes contributed to $147 billion in health care costs in 2008. Source Link
 

Science may soon be able to accurately predict whether you’ll keep the promises you make. Researchers using MRI scans have located a part of the brain where activity indicates the likelihood that you’ll follow through with thoughts and plans. Testing showed the scans were more accurate than a person’s own predictions about whether they would keep a promise. Source Link

August 3, 2010

After more than seven years of fighting, President Obama says all U.S. combat troops will be withdrawn from Iraq as scheduled by the end of this month. That will leave about 50,000 American military personnel in Iraq to continue training and support functions. Under an agreement negotiated in 2008, all U.S. troops are to leave Iraq by the end of next year. Source Link 

The Apple iPad’s first serious competition could come from the makers of the Blackberry phone. The company is said to be launching it’s own touchscreen tablet computer, dubbed the Blackpad, that will have similar features as the popular iPad and retail for about the same price. Blackberry is also introducing a new touchscreen phone to compete with the Apple iPhone. Source Link

It may be the dog days of summer, but the first shipments of this year’s flu vaccine are already on their way. The 100 million doses include a more-potent flu shot designed to provide full protection for persons over 65. This year’s vaccine will protect against H1N1 as well as seasonal flu strains and is recommended for everyone over the age of six months. Source Link

August 2, 2010

When voters in Missouri go to the polls tomorrow they’ll take part in what’s being called the first public referendum on health care reform. The proposed state law would prevent government from mandating that people have health insurance. A key provision of the new federal health care law requires most Americans to have health insurance or face fines. Source Link
 

The battle to become the next electronic device in your purse or pocket has turned into something of a price war, with Amazon leading the race downward. A new smaller, lighter version of it’s Kindle e-book reader will sell for only $139. The new Kindle will use WiFi to load e-books, newspaper and magazine subscriptions. The Amazon Kindle is facing tough competition from the new Apple iPad. Source Link
 

A new study says the teenager who’s always grazing in the refrigerator may actually be in better shape to manage their weight. Teens who reported having four or more snacks in a day were 60 percent less likely to be overweight.  Researchers say a key factor is eating smaller main meals along with more frequent healthy snacks. Source Link