Common cold virus may be linked to childhood obesity
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have found that a common cold virus may be linked to childhood obesity.In the study of 124 children aged eight to eighteen, kids who had antibodies to adenovirus 36 (AD36) weighed on average 50 pounds more than children who didn't have the antibodies. When children have...
BP says well is sealed, but oily Gulf and accountability questions remain
By Marian Wang in ProPublicaBP announced on Sunday that its ruptured well in the Gulf has at last been sealed, bringing to a close the five-month struggle of the company — and the Obama administration — to control and permanently plug the “nightmare well” that killed 11 workers and caused the worst oil spill in the history ...
Tea Party-endorsed Christine O'Donnell wins Delaware Senate primary
Christine O'Donnell has defeated Mike Castle in the 2010 Delaware Republican senate primary, CNN and the Associated Press have announced. With 325 of 325 precincts counted, O'Donnell, who has received the endorsement of the Tea Party movement, led Representative Castle by 30561 votes to 27021, 53.1% to 46.9%.The Republican O'Donnell...
Scientists Discover Thick Layer of Oil Stretching for Miles on Gulf Sea Floor
By Marian Wang in ProPublicaScientists conducting research in the Gulf have found a thick layer of oily sediment on the ocean floor stretching for miles. "We have to [chemically] fingerprint it and link it to the Deepwater Horizon," Samantha Joye, a marine scientist at the University of Georgia, told NPR. "But the sheer...
Obama announces plan to build roads, railroads and runways
In a speech in Wisconsin, US President Barack Obama announced a USD50 billion plan to restore 150,000 miles of roads, lay 4,000 miles of railroad tracks and rebuild 150 miles of airport runways within six years. The speech was given at an annual Labor Day festival in Milwaukee to union workers on Monday afternoon."All of this...
After Katrina, New Orleans cops were told they could shoot looters
By Sabrina Shankman and Tom Jennings of Frontline, Brendan McCarthy and Laura Maggi of The New Orleans Times-Picayune and A.C. Thompson of ProPublica This story was co-published with The New Orleans Times-Picayune. In the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, an order circulated among New Orleans police authorizing officers...
Van Gogh painting stolen again
A Vincent van Gogh painting has gone missing from the Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The painting, which was cut from its frame, goes by the name “Poppy Flowers” or “Vase with Flowers” and is valued at approximately $50 million. The work was previously believed to have been recaptured from an Italian couple at Cairo airport, but Egypt’s culture minister […]
China's economy surpasses Japan's in second quarter
China's economy surpassed Japan's during the second quarter of 2010, and now is the second largest world economic power. China's economy already is larger than Japan's in the fourth quarter of most years, and many expect that the world's most populous country will soon cement its place as the world's second largest economy...
Early puberty for US girls raises health risk
According to a new study, US girls are reaching puberty earlier than ever, a trend that raises some health concerns. The study, which was conducted in New York's East Harlem, the Cincinnati metropolitan area and the San Francisco Bay area, showed that by age eight, 27% of girls had begun puberty and showed breast development....
Flooding devastates millions in Pakistan
The Pakistan Red Crescent Society, which has branches and volunteers across the country, has been helping survivors since the flooding began by delivering food, health services, shelter and relief items (including hygiene kits and cooking equipment).Monsoon rains have caused extensive flash flooding throughout Pakistan, killing...