November 30, 2011

The nation’s number-three airline is seeking bankruptcy protection. American Airlines was the only of the country’s top air carriers not to declare bankruptcy after travel cutbacks following the 9/11 attacks and high fuel prices put most airlines in the red. The move is not expected to impact any travelers on American Airlines flights. Source Link

A new survey supports what may of us already know -- 65 isn’t retirement age anymore. The poll of middle-class Americans shows that many plan to delay retirement -- some until age 80 -- in order to have enough money to live comfortably. And more than half say they’ll need to significantly cut back on spending now in order to have enough savings for retirement. Source Link

Here’s one measure of the nation’s economic health - fewer offices will be awash in egg nog this year as a new survey shows the percentage of companies sponsoring holiday parties is at a record low. About 74-percent of companies plan a holiday celebration. That’s down for the fifth consecutive year, and way off the 96-percent that held holiday parties in 2006. Source Link 

November 29, 2011

Many Americans seem ready to spend again, at least for the holidays. The National Retail Federation says the four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend including Black Friday netted just over $54 billion in sales. That’s up 16-percent from last year. The trade group estimates that 226million shoppers hit the stores in the four-day period. Source Link

NBA fans are waiting for players and owners to give them an early Christmas present with ratification of a new labor agreement that would allow the 2011-2012 basketball season to begin on December 25th. Nearly two months worth of games were cancelled by an owner’s lockout. The tentative deal splits revenue 50-50 between players and owners. Source Link

Android is the leading platform for smartphones and the biggest target for hackers too. A new report shows the latest malware threats are almost exclusively aimed at Android devices. Some collect personal information and steal money from the user by sending text messages. Other malware can record phone conversations and send them to the attacker.  Source Link 

November 28, 2011

If you’re a person who eats lunch at your desk every day, you’re not dining alone. A new survey shows that one out of three employees admit to doing the same thing. About the same number take a lunch break away from work. Some 15% say they only occasionally take a lunch break, and the rest say they seldom if ever stop work for lunch. Source Link

Can taking out the trash help us stay mentally sharp as we age? A new study found that routine chores like cleaning, doing laundry and running errands expend enough energy to provide exercise that can help prevent mental declines in seniors. Researchers say just about any activity that burns calories could be a benefit in battling dementia. Source Link 

Giving your heart to your spouse turns out to be a great way to keep your heart healthy. A new study shows that happily married people who undergo coronary bypass surgery are more than three times as likely to be alive 15 years later. Researchers say marital satisfaction is as important to survival after bypass surgery as risk factors like tobacco use, obesity, and high blood pressure. Source Link

  

November 25, 2011

The smart phone is a new tool in the battle against some of war’s most-lingering wounds. The Pentagon has developed applications that can help coach soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder on how to ease the symptoms as they occur. The apps do not take the place of professional counseling, but do offer a treatment option that’s available at the touch of a finger. Source Link

Want to have a dog or cat as a pet but you’re worried that your children will become allergic? In fact, a new study says that pet might be good for their health. Children who were exposed to dogs and cats as youngsters had fewer nasal allergies as teenagers. The effect could also reduce the risk for asthma and other allergic diseases in the future. Source Link  

Using a smaller plate is one way to take smaller portions and eat less, but does the size of the silverware matter? A new study says it does. Researchers found that restaurant diners who used a larger fork ate less. One theory is that the bigger forkfuls slow down the eating process and give the body more time to recognize that sense of fullness. Source Link  

November 23, 2011

The failure of Congress to come up with a compromise to cut the federal deficit could be hitting America’s doctors in the wallet. They’re now facing a steep cut in Medicare reimbursements that’s scheduled to take effect with the New Year. The issue was to have been addressed in the deficit talks, and some doctors say they may stop treating Medicare patients. Source Link

Expect even more company if you’re venturing out to do your holiday shopping on Black Friday. According to a survey from the National Retail Federation, some 152 million shoppers say they will hit stores on the day after Thanksgiving. That’s up up 10 percent from last year. The industry group is predicting retail sales in November and December to rise about 3 percent. Source Link

The middle class is surely shrinking, and you’ll find the proof in America’s neighborhoods. A new study says the percentage of Americans who live in middle class neighborhoods has dropped by one-third since 1970. Of those who moved out, about half have moved up into affluent addresses, while the rest have stepped down into lower-income locales. Source Link

November 22, 2011

It looks like that congressional supercommittee formed back in August to find a compromise to fix to the federal deficit is reaching its deadline without a deal. That means $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts for military and social programs would take effect in 2013, although some in Congress are now saying they’ll try to block the military cuts. Source Link

The higher cost of fueling up won’t be keeping folks from driving over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. A new AAA survey shows that about 38 million Americans will drive 50 miles or more on a trip over the holiday. That’s up from last year, even though Thanksgiving gas prices will be at their highest in nearly a decade. Source Link

The new Kindle Fire may have accountants at Amazon.Com seeing red. A breakdown of pricing of the components in the new tablet/e-reader shows that Amazon is losing about $3 on every $199 Kindle Fire that they sell. Of course, the company hopes to make that back and much more from the e-books, videos and other products they can sell to Kindle Fire owners. Source Link 

November 21, 2011

Forget about toys or bicycles -- this Christmas, kids say they want an Apple under the tree. A new Nielsen survey shows almost half of all 6-to-12-year olds want an Apple iPad as a Christmas gift. It was a clean sweep for Apple in the survey as the iPad, the iPod Touch and the iPhone were the top three electronics gifts for kids. Source Link

Could the alternative to reading glasses be found in an eye implant that’s the size of a grain of salt? The tiny corneal implant can restore near vision in many cases and can be used in combination with Lasik surgery that corrects distance vision. The new implant could be available in the U.S. next year. Source Link

It’s good news, bad news when it comes to the safety of hybrid vehicles. A new report says the multiple batteries that power electric motors in hybrids make the vehicles heavier and safer in a crash. But those silent electric motors are more dangerous in pedestrian mishaps because people on foot can’t hear the vehicle coming at them. Source Link 

November 18, 2011

More employers are making workers pay the price with higher health care premiums if they smoke or have high cholesterol. A new survey says about one out of three companies will have penalty charges for health insurance next year.  But four out of five also say they’ll offer some type of financial reward to individuals who participate in health management programs. Source Link

A new scientific study shows you don’t really get much bang for the extra bucks you lay out for that 3-D movie. Researchers say subjects who watched a 3-D version of a movie found it no more memorable or exciting than those who watched the same movie in 2-D. But 3-D moviegoers were three times more likely to report headaches or eye strain. Source Link

Imagine if the battery in your cell phone could last 10 times as long as it does now, and then you could recharge it in 15 minutes? It’s not science fiction - it’s part of work that’s underway now to redesign the litium-ion batteries that power everything from cell phones and iPads to hybrid electric cars. Scientists say the new technology could be on the market in three to five years. Source Link 

November 17, 2011

The nation’s new federal consumer watchdog agency is setting its sights on the massive private student loan industry. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says too little is known about the private student loan business dominated by major banks like Chase and Wells Fargo and non-bank Sallie Mae. America’s outstanding student loan bill is said to total $1 trillion. Source Link

As Americans begin holiday shopping online, Congress is taking another look at whether such purchases should remain free from sales tax. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Home Depot, and other brick-and-mortar stores are backing a measure to require online retailers like Amazon.Com and out-of-state web sellers to collect sales tax. Current law does not require it unless the company has a physical presence in the state where the buyer lives. Source Link

Listen to this -- a new study says one in five Americans over the age of 12 has some hearing loss, and 12-percent have hearing problems in both ears. The survey shows that women and blacks are less likely to have hearing problems. Researchers think there could be a connection between estrogen and melanin pigment in darker skin that protects the inner ear. Source Link 

November 16, 2011

Wall Street is no longer “occupied” after the downtown Manhattan park that was the home base for economic protesters has been cleared in a police sweep. The enforcement of rules banning tents, sleeping bags or tarps shuts down the around-the-clock encampment that lasted nearly two months. Similar crackdowns have taken place at “Occupy” protest sites in Oakland and Portland. Source Link

The U.S. Transportation Department wants airlines to know that it means business about preventing delays that keep passengers stranded in planes on the ground. It has fined American Eagle $900,000 for keeping passengers on 15 planes for more than three hours last May at O’Hare Airport. This first fine under the new rules comes just a week before the busiest flying period of the year during the Thanksgiving holiday. Source Link

Looking for a can’t-miss major for your college-bound student? There’s a new report listing work fields that have zero unemployment. There’s not much for your average liberal arts major, but they include Actuarial Science, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Educational Administration and Supervision, Geophysical Engineering, Pharmacology, and School Student Counseling. Source Link 

November 15, 2011

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care overhaul. The highest court has scheduled arguments next March in legal challenges that seek to overturn the law that requires individuals to carry health insurance beginning in 2014. The Supreme Court’s ruling should come by the end of June. Source Link 

Taking a page from the playbook from the NFL lockout, NBA players have chosen to disband their union and sue the league rather than accept an offer for a contract with a 50-50 split of revenue with owners. The move will put the fate of the 2011-2012 season in the hands of a court. All the league’s November games were already cancelled because of the contract impasse. Source Link

A new chapter in America’s love story with the tablet computer begins today with the debut of the Kindle Fire. Amazon’s new 7-inch tablet and e-book reader carries a $199 price tag that’s less than half that of the best-selling Apple iPad tablet. Amazon won’t say how many pre-orders they’ve taken for the Kindle Fire, but analysts say the company could sell about 5 million of the tablets by the end of the year. Source Link

November 14, 2011

Player representatives from the 30 NBA teams are meeting in New York to consider what’s been called the “final” contract offer from owners that could salvage the 2011-2012 season. The deal that’s on the table includes a 50-50 split of revenues between owners and players. If the players union accepts the contract, the season could begin by December 15th. Source Link

A program that provides discount broadband Internet service to low-income homes with school-aged children is going nationwide. America’s cable companies have agreed to offer the $9.95 a month service to any household with children who qualify for free school lunches. The Connect-To-Compete program that starts next year will also offer low-cost computers to households that qualify. Source Link

Could your desk job be considered a health risk? New research has found that sitting for more than six hours a day was linked with an increased risk of mortality, even if you exercise regularly. The good news is that reducing your sitting time by just 10-percent with walking and stand-up breaks can improve bone density, reduce tight leg muscles  and help you burn more calories. Source Link 

November 11, 2011

From Arlington Cemetery to Main Street USA, this is the annual day to honor the nation’s military veterans. Some 22 million Americans are veterans of the armed services. About one-third of today’s veterans served during the Vietnam era, and about 5 million since the first Gulf War. Some 2 million World War Two veterans still survive to celebrate Veterans Day 2011. Source Link

Could you stay out of your in-box all day today? That’s the goal of  “No Email Day” - an effort designed to get people focusing on the work at hand instead of the flood of messages coming in. The campaign’s founder suggests that participants first consider whether the email you’re sending is all that important and then replace electronic correspondence with face-to-face conversations. Source Link
 
That laptop on your holiday wish list could be a no-show come Christmas morning, thanks to weather woes half-a-world away. Severe flooding in Thailand has shut down the factories that make most of the hard disk drives used in computers. Some drive prices have tripled and one analyst says remaining inventory could be gone by the end of the month, making it hard to fill orders for the holiday season. Source Link

November 10, 2011

This season will be the last for college football’s all-time winning coach. Joe Paterno has been fired by Penn State University amid controversy over whether he did enough to alert authorities to allegations of child sexual abuse involving a former assistant. Paterno says he wished he had done more nine years ago when he learned of the alleged attack and reported it to his superiors but not to police. Source Link

After conquering the world of discount retail and becoming one of the nation’s biggest grocers, Wal-Mart now wants to become the leader in storefront healthcare. The nation’s biggest retailer is seeking partners that would run in-store clinics to offer basic care and management of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. The goal is to become the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation. Source Link

The dreaded “Freshman 15” stands as a familiar warning for new college students to avoid gaining weight, but a nationwide study shows it’s more media myth that a fact of campus life. An Ohio State University researcher says his survey of college students shows the average freshman weight gain is less than four pounds, and that’s just a half-pound more than the same-age person who didn't go to college. Source Link

November 9, 2011

Voters in Ohio have rejected a measure to limit collective bargaining for public employees. The public referendum on the GOP-backed state law was seen by many as an early indicator of the electorate’s political mood in a state that will be key to winning the White House in 2012. Source Link
 

It’s something that nearly every driver says is wrong, but one out of three admit to doing it in the past month. Drowsy driving is a factor in one out of every six fatal crashes. To avoid falling asleep behind the wheel, experts suggest you travel at the time of day that you’re usually awake and remember that an eye-opening caffeine boost takes about 30 minutes to kick-in after you drink coffee. Source Link

Here’s a feature that could come in handy for cell phones that are carried in hip pockets -- Nokia has shown a prototype phone that’s bendable. The some display functions such as zooming can correspond to the bending motion and the rubbery design could safeguard the phone if it’s dropped. No word on when the flexible phone will be available. Source Link

November 8, 2011

On this Election Day, the nation will be watching Ohio where a ballot referendum could be a test of public support for Republican leadership in a key state in next year’s presidential election. Voters will decide the fate of a GOP-backed state law that weakens collective bargaining for public employees. Pre-election polls show opponents outnumbering supporters by a nearly three-to-two margin. Source Link


The personal physician for singer Michael Jackson has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death in 2009. Dr. Conrad Murray faces up to four years in prison when sentencing takes place later this month. Jurors who convicted Murray heard testimony that the physician neglected Jackson as he lay dying after a dose of a powerful anesthetic was used as a sleep aid. Source Link 



If all goes well tomorrow, every radio and TV station  and cable and satellite channel in America will be carrying the same programming -- for about one minute. The first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern time. The purpose of the test is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the system to alert the entire country in a nationwide emergency. Source Link 

November 7, 2011

The new NBA season could be over before it even started. Team owners are giving the players union until Wednesday to accept a deal on a new labor agreement to end a four-month lockout that's already forced the cancellation of this month's games. Without an agreement, the league could cancel the rest of the season. Source Link

 Industry officials say there will be fewer people flying to visit family and friends this Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have room to stretch out on your flight. That’s because airlines have reduced their flight schedules, leaving few empty seats. About 23 million people will travel by air over the 12-day Thanksgiving holiday period that begins on November 18th. Source Link

Jot this down right now -- if you need to write a note to remember something, don’t leave the room to find a pen and paper, or you might forget it. Researchers say studies show that the act of walking through a doorway into another room tells the brain to start a new memory event, making it harder to remember what you were just thinking. Source Link

November 4, 2011

There’s good news for those who are genetically prone to obesity -- a new report says simple exercise can decrease the effect of those genes. Researchers say studies show that about an hour a day of physical activity such as walking the dog, riding a bike or just taking the stairs can reduce the effect of the obesity gene by up to 27-percent and help people maintain a healthy weight. Source Link

Netflix may be under fire for its pricing plans, but it’s still the king of online streaming. A new report says one-third of all prime-time Internet traffic is from Netflix customers using the Instant Viewing service. And a majority of that Netflix viewing is now taking place away from the computer, on game consoles, set-top boxes, smart TV’s and and mobile devices. Source Link

Labor Day has long since passed and its almost halfway through autumn, but we still have a bit more Daylight Saving Time to enjoy before clocks roll back an hour early Sunday morning. Studies differ on whether the extension of Daylight Saving Time into early November saves money on energy consumption as promised, and Congress has the option to revert to the shorter schedule that was in effect before 2007. Source Link

November 3, 2011

Republican presidential hopefuls finally have an official starting line in the primary race for the White House. New Hampshire has scheduled its first-in-the-nation presidential primary for January 10th. The Iowa caucuses take place one week earlier. There was talk of a New Hampshire primary in late December if other states had tried to move up their primary balloting to early January. Source Link

Allowing parents to opt out of mandatory vaccinations for children is creating some “hot spot” schools where outbreaks of childhood diseases are more likely. Researchers say some schools have up to one-in-five students who are not vaccinated, raising the odds of an outbreak of preventable diseases. Measles cases have reached a 15-year high and more cases of whooping cough are being reported nationwide. Source Link

The same technology that powers your cell phone is also being used to create products that take wireless to a new level. AT&T is marketing items like pill containers that send wireless reminders and GPS-enabled dog collars. And a new product incorporates wireless sensors in sportswear to monitor your vital signs and upload them to a web site. Source Link 

November 2, 2011

Score one for outraged consumers -- Bank of America is dropping plans to charge a $5 a month debit card usage fee. The nation’s largest bank says it heard loud and clear from customers who were upset over the new fee. More than 300,000 of them had signed a petition pledging to close their Bank of America accounts rather than pay the new fee. Source Link

Think of it a a set of spare keys for your online home that you can you give to your friends. Facebook is offering a new feature that lets you designate from three to five “trusted friends” to receive a special code that you can use to access your Facebook account if you’re locked out because you forgot your password. The feature is being added to all Facebook accounts over the next few weeks. Source Link

How can five equal ten? When it comes to adding another decade to your life, health experts recommend a handful of lifestyle changes that could extend life expectancy to age 90 or beyond. They include being active, knowing and controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, following a healthy diet, achieving a healthy weight,  and being tobacco-free. Source Link 

November 1, 2011

The nation’s economic woes have meant Americans aren’t on the move that much these days. The Census Bureau says it’s the lowest rate of relocation since World War Two. The problem is hitting both ends of the age spectrum, as young adults struggle to find jobs that allow them to move out on their own, and older Americans are locked into underwater mortgages or are putting off a retirement move. Source Link

The prescription for better vision for kids could be as simple as “get outside and play.” Researchers say children can reduce the risk of nearsightedness the more that they play outdoors. Outdoor play trains the eye to focus on long distances, as opposed to working in close-up settings with computer monitors and handheld devices like smart phones or tablets. Source Link

The direct path to the British throne is no longer labeled “boys only.” The countries that recognize the British monarch have agreed to abolish a male preference in the order of succession to the throne.  That means if the first child of Britain's Prince William is a daughter, she’ll probably become queen one day, regardless of whether a younger brother comes along later. Source Link