South Carolina authorities search for missing toddler

By doris | Published: January 27, 2012

Full Story at CNN.com

(CNN) — Authorities in South Carolina searched intently Thursday for a missing toddler who was last seen nearly two months ago, and whose pregnant mother has been charged with cruelty toward a child.

Columbia police Chief Randy Scott told Vinnie Politan, of CNN’s sister network HLN, that law enforcement launched their search for Amir Jennings after receiving what they considered “a credible tip.”

Officers from multiple agencies — including the FBI, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia-Richland Fire Department and Columbia police — scoured an 8-square-mile area near a small rural church, said Jennifer Timmons, a spokeswoman for Columbia police.

Posted in Abuse, Children, Missing Persons, Searching | Leave a comment

Students to see healthier school lunches under new USDA rules

By doris | Published: January 26, 2012

Full Story at usnews.msnbc.msn.com

Millions of schoolchildren in the United States will see more fruit and vegetables and less fat on their lunch plates under new U.S. Department of Agriculture standards unveiled Wednesday aimed at improving child nutrition and reducing childhood obesity.

“Improving the quality of the school meals is a critical step in building a healthy future for our kids,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “When it comes to our children, we must do everything possible to provide them the nutrition they need to be healthy, active and ready to face the future – today we take an important step towards that goal.”

Posted in Children, Food, Health, School | Leave a comment

American hostage in Somalia rescued by US Navy SEALs in overnight raid

By doris | Published: January 25, 2012

Full Story at WorldNews.msnbc.msn.com

WASHINGTON — In a daring nighttime raid Tuesday, U.S. Navy SEALs rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia, U.S. officials tell NBC News.

American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Thisted, were working for a Danish relief organization in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October. U.S. officials described their kidnappers as heavily armed common criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group.
According to the U.S. officials, two teams of Navy SEALs landed by helicopter near the compound where the two hostages were being held. As the SEALS approached the compound on foot gunfire broke out, the U.S. officials said, and several of the militants were reportedly killed. There is no word that any of the Americans were wounded.

Posted in America, Kidnap, Navy | Leave a comment

How books, puzzles may help ward off Alzheimer’s

By doris | Published: January 24, 2012

Full Story at Vitals.msnbc.msn.com

Doing puzzles and reading books have been linked with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and a new study may explain why — it reduces the accumulation of harmful proteins in the brain.

In the study, older adults who said they engaged in mentally stimulating activities throughout their lives had fewer deposits ofbeta-amyloid, the hallmark protein of Alzheimer’s. The findings were true regardless of the participants’ gender or years of education.

The findings suggest that cognitive therapies that stimulate the brain may slow the progression of the disease, if applied before symptoms appear, said study researcher William Jagust, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.

The researchers note Alzheimer’s is a complex disease that likely has more than one cause. In addition, other lifestyle factors not accounted for in the study may influence the link.

The study is published online today (Jan. 23) in the journal Archives of Neurology.

Posted in Alzheimer's, Books And Puzzles, Research | Leave a comment

Threat to electrify dog cage with girl inside just ‘horseplay’

By doris | Published: January 22, 2012

Full Story at USNews.nsmbc.msn.com

A man accused of punishing his 12-year-old daughter by binding her hands and feet with duct tape and sticking her in a dog cage, then threatening to electrify the crate, was just engaging in “some horseplay” that “got out of control,” his lawyer says.

Here’s what happened, according to a report from NBC station WLWT of Cincinnati:

The Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Office said James Tapke restrained his 12-year-old daughter’s hands and feet using duct tape before placing her in a dog cage on Jan. 10. Then, while his daughter was in the cage, investigators said, Tapke dropped small amounts of water on her face.

According to court papers, the victim was in the cage for about 20 minutes before her 13-year-old brother let her out. When she got out, authorities said, the victim poured water on her father’s head and in his ear.

Posted in Children, Home, House, Law, Victims | Leave a comment

Opinion: Inflation and Taxes

By doris | Published: January 21, 2012

Everything is going up because of mim. wage and a few other things.  When you do your taxes for a single person that makes about $13,000.00 and under can take a child credit. Prices has went up at least three times when mim. wage raised. Why can,t they raise the thirteen thousand to at least fifthteen thousand it could help a lot of people with one child and no one at all. But how do you get the government to listen. Its like talking to a brick wall. The get raises,and they are making a lot of money all ready. I know we all can’t have what we want, but some one should listen. This is only one thing that bothers me.

Posted in Family, Inflation, Jobs, Money, Opinion, Tax Returns | Leave a comment

Snow, sleet target Midwest and Northeast

By doris | Published: January 20, 2012

Full Story at usNews.msnbc.msn.com

Updated at 3:30 p.m. ET: Snow was falling heavily by midafternoon in Chicago as a winter storm spread east, NBCChicago.com reported.

Though no significant delays were reported, airlines at O’Hare Airport canceled more than 300 flights, NBCChicago.com said. At Midway Airport, Southwest Airlines canceled all 70 of its flights scheduled between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday.

The Chicago Department of Aviation urged passengers to check airline websites for status updates.

The Milwaukee area was seeing light snow at midday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Original story: Snow is forecast for Chicago, Milwaukee and other Midwestern cities Friday as a winter system travels toward the Northeast, according to The Weather Channel.

Posted in Climate, Environment, news, Weather | Leave a comment

Paula Deen pledges money to diabetes association

By doris | Published: January 19, 2012

Full Story at msnbc.com

NEW YORK — Celebrity chef Paula Deen on Wednesday pledged a portion of her earnings from a lucrative endorsement deal with a diabetes drugmaker to the nonprofit American Diabetes Association.

The queen of Southern cooking and author of numerous cookbooks disclosed Tuesday that she’s had Type 2 diabetes for three years while promoting high-fat, high-sugar recipes as usual on her Food Network TV shows. She also said Tuesday that she’d signed on as the face of a new diabetes health initiative sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Victoza, a noninsulin injectable medication she now takes.

Posted in Charities, Donate, Hearing | Leave a comment

Obama administration rejects Keystone pipeline permit

By doris | Published: January 18, 2012

Full Story at FoxNews.com

President Obama announced Wednesday that he will deny a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, blaming Republicans for imposing a “rushed and arbitrary deadline” which he said did not give officials enough time.

GOP lawmakers immediately excoriated the president for the decision. House Speaker John Boehner said Obama is “selling out American jobs for politics,” and said Republicans in Congress would continue to push for the pipeline

Posted in Jobs, Law, Pipeline, Presidential | Leave a comment

Americans honor MLK with service — and more protests

By doris | Published: January 17, 2012

Full Story at msnbc.com

Americans honored Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday with a traditional day of service as well as a new wave of economic injustice protests by Occupy Wall Street.

On the first King holiday since the now-global Occupy movement launched in New York City in September, the reignited debate over inequality drew hundreds of protestors to march in wintry temperatures in Manhattan, stopping at a Bank of America branch to shout, “The banks got bailed out, we got sold out.”

Posted in America, Birthday, Celebrate, Honor | Leave a comment

Troops appear on streets as Nigeria president acts to cut fuel prices

By doris | Published: January 16, 2012

Full Story at WorldNews.msnbc.msn.com

LAGOS, Nigeria — Soldiers have barricaded key roads in Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos as the president offered a concession to halt fuel price protests that he said were being stoked by provocateurs seeking anarchy.

Troops and police also blocked entrances to protest venues in Nigeria’s second-largest city of Kano on Monday, including a park near a university and a square in the city center.

Posted in Business, Economy, Gas, Goverment | Leave a comment

Why oil prices will stay high

By doris | Published: January 15, 2012

Full Story at globalpublicsquare.blogsCNN.com

The next time you pay $3.50 dollars for a gallon of gas, stop and think about a basic rule of economics. When demand is low and supply is strong, prices should fall. Right?

Now apply that to oil. People drive less in the winter. The American economy is slow. The Euro Zone has stalled. China and India are slowing down. So demand for oil worldwide is low. So why is oil trading high at $113 a barrel, more than twice the price it was trading at five years ago when the global economy was booming? What in the world is going on?

Posted in Gas, Oil, Prices | Leave a comment

Gutsy wrangler, huge horse save boy from charging grizzly

By doris | Published: January 14, 2012

Full Story at spodesman.com

Grizzlies are high profile this year.

A lingering winter and late berry crop kept bears in proximity to humans longer than normal, perhaps contributing to a stream of headlines about grizzlies killing people and people killing grizzlies.

Meanwhile, a young lady on a big horse charged out of the pack of grizzly stories near Glacier National Park. In a cloud of dust, the 25-year-old wrangler likely saved a boy’s life while demonstrating that skill, quick-thinking and guts sometimes are the best weapons against a head-on charging grizzly.

Posted in Animal, Children, Environment, Saves Life | Leave a comment

Coca-Cola says it told gov’t about fungicide in OJ

By doris | Published: January 13, 2012

Full Story at news.Yahoo.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Coca-Cola Co. acknowledged Thursday it was the company that alerted federal regulators about low levels of fungicide in its own orange juice and in competitors’ juice, prompting juice prices to rise and increased government testing for the residue.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have said orange juice is safe to drink and the levels found are below levels of concern.

Posted in Company, Food, Goverment, Research | Leave a comment

Mom forces teen to wear sign: ‘I lie, I steal, I sell drugs, I don’t follow the law’

By doris | Published: January 12, 2012

Full Story at thegrio.com

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA – A frustrated mom has given her wayward teenage son the ultimate punishment: public humiliation.

The 14-year-old was forced to stand on a busy street for two hours with a massive sign hanging around his neck, which read, “I lie, I steal, I sell drugs, I don’t follow the law.”

Dynesha Lax, of Fort Wayne, said the punishments handed out to her unruly son weren’t strong enough to get him to stop so she had no choice but to take this drastic action.

“I decided he broke the law and they only gave him a few hours community service so I decided that we were going to wear a sign that says you looking for attention, we’re going to get you attention,” Lax told KLTV.

Posted in Arrested, Children, drugs, Home, Mom, Victims | Leave a comment

It’s National Pizza Week! How to find the perfect slice

By doris | Published: January 11, 2012

Full Story at Bites.today.msnbc.msn.com

Colin Hagendorf is a venerable slice expert. The Brooklyn native recently completed his quest to eat at every pizza slice joint in Manhattan, chronicling his 370-plus slice binge on his blog Slice Harvester. In honor of National Pizza Week, Hagendorf, 28, offers his tips for finding pizza nirvana.

“All of your senses are part of the experience,” Hagendorf told TODAY.com. “You don’t hold your nose or wear gloves when eating pizza.”

Smell: The smell of the pizza should pull you out from the street and into the door. Everyone knows what the perfect slice smells like, even if they can’t describe it.

Posted in Food, National-------Week | Leave a comment

Americans hit the brakes on health care spending

By doris | Published: January 10, 2012

Full Story at America hits the brakes on health care spending – Health – Health care – msnbc.com

WASHINGTON — U.S. healthcare spending barely rose in 2010 from record-low recession levels, as high unemployment and the loss of private health insurance forced many Americans to delay or forego medical treatment, government officials said on Monday.

Spending edged up 3.9 percent, bringing the total size of the U.S.
healthcare system to $2.6 trillion, or $8,402 per person, according to a
report released by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
or CMS, and published in the journal Health Affairs.

Growth in 2010 was only a slim 0.1 percentage point higher than the
3.8 percent recorded in 2009, which was the lowest rate recorded in half
a century. Per capita health spending in the United States is still the
highest worldwide.

Posted in America, Family, Financial, Health | Leave a comment

Alaska teen nearly recovered from spinal injury

By doris | Published: January 9, 2012

Full Story at msnbc.com

KODIAK, Alaska — As the holiday season comes to a close, Aaron Cooper has many things to be thankful for, most importantly his life.

Four years ago in Fairbanks, Alaska, Cooper, a 2007 Kodiak High School graduate, was involved in a life-threatening snowmachine accident.

The veteran rider was practicing freestyle tricks when things turned for the worse. While doing a jump, Cooper lost control of his sled and had to abort.

He jumped, and when he came back down to earth he broke his back, causing bone fragments to tear through his nerve sac and shatter his nerve system.

Posted in Children, Crash, Injury, Medical | Leave a comment

Memory loss from aging can start as early as 45: Study

By doris | Published: January 8, 2012

Full Story at CBSNews.com

(CBS) Memory loss might start a lot sooner than originally thought, a new study suggests. The study found signs of age-related cognitive decline in men and women who were only 45 years old.

PICTURES: Alzheimer’s disease: 7 things that raise your risk

For the study, researchers tracked nearly 5,200 men and 2,200 women for 10 years beginning in 1997. All were civil servants between the ages of 45 and 70 who lived in the U.K.

Posted in Age, Dad, Loss, Mom | Leave a comment

Tanker en route to cut-off Alaska city hits ice

By doris | Published: January 7, 2012

Full Story at msnbc.mwn.com

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Russian tanker carrying fuel for an iced-in Alaska city that without a delivery could run out of crucial supplies before winter’s end encountered ice early Friday in the eastern Bering Sea.

The ice was not a surprise. The 370-foot tanker Renda will have to go through more than 300 miles of sea ice to get to Nome, a city of about 3,500 people on the western Alaska coastline that did not get its last pre-winter fuel delivery because of a massive storm.

If the delivery of diesel fuel and unleaded gasoline is not made, the city likely will run short of fuel supplies before another barge delivery can be made in spring.

Posted in America, Electricity, Emergency, Equipment, Gas, Home, Oil | Leave a comment