Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Nation Sweats It Out

The heat wave that’s covering the Midwest is slowly moving eastward, but it will be a few days before people in the central part of the country begin to feel any relief. A combination of stagnant heat and humidity has lead to some type of heat advisory in more than 30 states. In many cases, [...]

The Money Race: How The Candidates Stack Up

At first glance, the presidential candidates’ quarterly financial reports reveal three winners. President Obama’s fundraising operation outperformed all of the Republican campaigns combined. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney raised four times as much as the next closest Republican, Rep. Ron Paul. And Rep. Michele Bachmann, despite not announcing officially until mid-June, swept in enough money [...]

Construction Crews Face Hot Days Work

Several Oklahomans are working outside despite the high triple digit temperatures and heat indices reaching nearly 110 degrees.

Cooling Centers: Where The Hot Go To Chill

Here in Washington, D.C., we’re on heat watch — along with people in many other cities caught under a giant heat dome. A heat wave (defined as several days of temperatures greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit) is bearing down, and it’s going to get a lot worse. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting [...]

Default Looming, Rating Agencies Sound The Alarm

President Obama has endorsed a plan from the Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Six” that would shave nearly $4 trillion off the deficit over the next 10 years. The major credit rating agencies have warned that the government needs at least that level of deficit reduction to preserve its top-notch bond rating. It’s a powerful message [...]

For Chinese Moms, Birth Means 30 Days In Pajamas

Imagine not being allowed to go outside, have a shower or drink cold water for an entire month. It might sound like a kind of house arrest. But every year tens of millions of Chinese women submit to this willingly. This is the traditional Chinese practice of confinement during the month after childbirth, with some [...]

Heat Wave Spreading East; No Relief For Days

The deadly heat wave that has been making things miserable in much of the Midwest for several days has begun to spread east and the National Weather Service warns that things are going to be stifling: “Temperatures in the mid-90s will be possible across the Mid-Atlantic states today. High temperatures will near 100 degrees tomorrow [...]

First Lady: Let’s Move Fruits And Veggies To ‘Food Deserts’

Today, first lady Michelle Obama announced that several major retailers, foundations and small businesses have committed to bringing healthier food to neighborhoods where supermarkets are scarce. But she knows it’s not going to be easy. If you have kids, you know that given the choice of Kit-Kats or kiwis, kids will pick usually pick the [...]

How Rick Perry Could Shake Up The GOP Race

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the latest Republican to tantalize the restive party base with the prospect of a 2012 presidential run. The three-term governor, a favorite of evangelicals and the Tea Party faithful, has been meeting with potential donors and ramping up his public profile. He has also scheduled an attention-getting prayer event at [...]

Rising Costs Complicate Vaccine Guidelines

The group that advises the U.S. government on vaccination thinks some new vaccines may not be worth the cost. In 2009, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, decided it’s not cost effective to routinely vaccinate boys for human papillomavirus, though they do recommend the vaccine for girls. Now the group is struggling to [...]