Eating Canned Soup Makes BPA Levels Soar

If you read the ingredient list on a can of soup, you’re likely to see items like carrots, wild rice, perhaps some noodles. What you won’t see listed: BPA. But a little canned soup for lunch can dramatically increase exposure to the chemical, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. [...]

Romney’s New Anti-Obama Ad Gets PolitiFact’s ‘Pants On Fire’ Rating

With a 9 percent U.S. jobless rate and housing values that continue to fall in many markets, Mitt Romney’s campaign could arguably just work with the facts on hand to land some sharp blows on President Obama’s economic stewardship. But apparently the Romney campaign felt like the mere facts weren’t enough for a new campaign [...]

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Remember Vioxx? Merck Settles Marketing Charges From Way Back

Drugmaker Merck took the painkiller Vioxx off the market in 2004, citing an increased risk of heart attacks among people taking the medicine. Today, seven years later, the Justice Department said Merck had agreed to pay $950 million to settle charges the company went too far in marketing the drug. The company pleaded guilty to [...]

Online Ads: Spreading Your Message, On A Budget

The Internet has become the medium of choice for presidential contenders this year. True, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is buying TV time in Iowa and elsewhere, pitching his status as a Washington outsider. And just Tuesday, Mitt Romney put up his first TV ad in New Hampshire, asking voters to “Believe in America.” But most [...]

As GOP Rivals Rise And Fall, Romney Gets A Pass

After months of keeping a low profile, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is stepping up his campaign activity. As his rivals’ poll numbers rise and fall, Romney has been at or near the front of the pack all along — with his support stuck at around 25 percent. The lack of a serious challenge to [...]

In Gingrich’s Past, A Lesson On Ambition

Last in a series Newt Gingrich was in his 20s when he was hired at West Georgia College as a history professor. He had just returned from Belgium, where he was doing research for his doctoral dissertation. “He was very much a person of intellect,” says Mel Steeley, who taught history at the college for [...]

The Real Mr. Incredible: Self-Styled ‘Superheroes’

Phoenix Jones has been stabbed, punched and held up at gunpoint. He’s been bludgeoned with a baseball bat and lacerated with a key all in his capacity as self-appointed savior of the Seattle streets. Phoenix is a self-designated superhero and the fascinating subject of Jon Ronson’s new ebook, The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones. Ronson, [...]

Buying A Savings Bond Is About To Get Harder

Paper savings bonds used to be a wholesome part of American culture. You bought them when your kids were born, to save for college. You bought them to save for a home. But starting next month, they’ll be a lot harder to get. Banks will stop selling paper savings bonds on January 1, 2012. Here’s [...]

‘Miss Bala’: Beauty Queen Meets Drug Lord

Throughout Latin America, stories about drug lords have permeated popular culture. A television series called The Cartel of the Snitches is hugely popular in Colombia. In Mexico, ballads called narcocorridos recount the exploits of drug runners, and soap operas glamorize the lives of drug lords. But a new movie called Miss Bala that’s out in [...]