USA TODAY articles from April 2005

USA TODAY archives from April 2005

National insurance could prove disastrous.(Health Care)(according Cato Institute report preparted by John C. Goodman)
April 1, 2005... As Sens. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.), John Kerry (D.-Mass.), and other prominent supporters of government provision of health care continue to discuss their plans, a study by the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C., suggests Democratic Party leaders...

Children endangered by guns, household cleaners.(Domestic Accidents)
April 1, 2005... Many U.S. residents who have younger children are negligent in storing guns and poisonous materials, but those whose homes youngsters only visit are significantly worse, according to a study conducted by the University of North Carolina at...

Women binge to relieve stress.(Eating Disorders)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... During the past five years, the number of women seeking treatment for eating disorders has risen alarmingly, reports Cynthia M. Bulik, co-author of Runaway Eating: The Eight-Point Plan to Conquer Adult Food and Weight Obsessions. "Eating...

High-fat diets hinder memory.(Obesity)
April 1, 2005... High-fat diets may do more than wreak havoc on your waistline. Research has found that a diet loaded with empty calories may affect an individual's memory as well. Reducing the amount of dietary fat may improve memory and help reduce the...

Rocket-fuel chemical found in milk.(Medicine & Health)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A thyroid-disrupting chemical may be more widespread than previously believed, as a study of store-bought and breast milk from across the U.S. by scientists at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, found perchlorate in every sample but one. ...

The unpredictability of revolutions is a lesson that never makes much of an impression on leaders who think that they can manipulate history through force, maintains Charles Kurzman, associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.(Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The unpredictability of revolutions is a lesson that never makes much of an impression on leaders who think that they can manipulate history through force, maintains Charles Kurzman, associate professor of sociology at the University of North...

To deal with terrorist threats and high-tech crime, police officers will rely more on training and mentoring, say police experts polled by criminologist Gene Stephens.(Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... To deal with terrorist threats and high-tech crime, police officers will rely more on training and mentoring, say police experts polled by criminologist Gene Stephens. "Bioterrorism, identity theft, cyberstalking, and crimes not yet defined...

America needs a program as big as the Apollo space mission to promote the energy efficiency of hydrogen, two energy experts maintain.(Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... America needs a program as big as the Apollo space mission to promote the energy efficiency of hydrogen, two energy experts maintain. "The United States [has] to build rapid political consensus for a hydrogen economy," insist researchers Julian...

Federal aid is driving up the cost of college tuition, charges Hillsdale (Mich.) College professor Gary Wolfram.(Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Federal aid is driving up the cost of college tuition, charges Hillsdale (Mich.) College professor Gary Wolfram. The Federal Work Study and Perkins Loan programs, for example, are government supports that heighten the demand for college aid....

The beleaguered telecommunications industry has blamed its collapse on manipulative executives and their misleading of consumers.(Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The beleaguered telecommunications industry has blamed its collapse on manipulative executives and their misleading of consumers, but, according to a report issued by the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C., the Federal Communication Commission's...

Today's traditional electric utilities may become outmoded over the next 30 years, Wayne A, English, an expert in nuclear engineering and electricity distribution, told the World Future Society, Bethesda, Md.(Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Today's traditional electric utilities may become outmoded over the next 30 years, Wayne A, English, an expert in nuclear engineering and electricity distribution, told the World Future Society, Bethesda, Md. Energy from wind farms,...

Those looking for a promotion first may want to look inside their closets, suggests a survey by OfficeTeam, Menlo Park, Calif.(Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Those looking for a promotion first may want to look inside their closets, suggests a survey by OfficeTeam, Menlo Park, Calif. Some 81% of employees are convinced that a person's work attire affects his or her professional image; 46% of...

Exercise best in late afternoon.(Circadian Rhythms)
April 1, 2005... Circadian rhythms, the body's biological processes that repeat in 24-hour cycles, may have a significant effect on a person's lung function and, ultimately, help determine the best time of day for exercise and the administration of medications...

Many wish they had a different voice.(Vocal Cords)
April 1, 2005... The eyes might be the mirror to the soul, but what your voice sounds like is apt to make a first impression--good or bad. A survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Cepacol line of sore throat-soothing products found that 21% of...

"Arnie's Army" on the march again.(Athletic Arena)
April 1, 2005... Long before the game of golf was given over to the immodest, foul-mouthed likes of Tiger Woods and his ilk, it was Arnold Palmer who almost singlehandedly popularized the sport with his mass appeal some 50 years ago. Palmers swashbuckling,...

Sell or remodel? That is the question.(Homeowning)
April 1, 2005... If you are a homeowner looking for a change, you will be subjected to some pretty intense sales pitches. Thinking of moving? Commission-minded real estate agents are all too happy to put your home on the market and find you a nice expensive new...

Prison settings prove valuable.(Research)
April 1, 2005... Over the years, valid concerns have been raised as to whether research should be allowed in prison settings, based on ethical problems in the past and the fact that prisoners inherently have less free will while incarcerated. However, a...

Almost 20% of women raped; close to 40% victimized.(Sexual Assault)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A study looking at the prevalence of sexual assault among women between 18 and 30 found that 38% had experienced victimization and almost 50% of that group had been raped, claims the Research Institute on Addictions at the University at Buffalo...

Few traumatized teens report their attacker.(Sexual Abuse)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Only one in 10 sexually-abused teenagers report their abuse. According to The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker: 32.4% are family members and 58.7% are acquaintances. These...

Death rate rises for unbelted cops.(Patrol Cars)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Unbelted police officers are 2.6 times more likely to die if their patrol car crashes than those who use a seat belt, a study from the University at Buffalo (N.Y.) shows. "More police officers died from traffic accidents in 2003 than from...

Peer-to-Peer networks no place for Gov't.(Technology)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Recent controversies over file-sharing and copyright policy have spawned hot debate in the courts and the halls of Congress, but a study issued by the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C., argues that government interference in Peer-to-Peer (P2P)...

Have lawyers lost competitive edge?(Attorneys)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... When you think of words to describe a law firm's culture, what comes to mind? Formal? Competitive? Not so, say attorneys. When surveyed by Robert Half Legal, Menlo Park, Calif., a staffing service specializing in attorneys, paralegals, and...

The Industrial revelations of Margaret Bourke-White.(Photojournalism)
April 1, 2005... A native of the Bronx, N.Y., Margaret Bourke-White (1904-71) first gained recognition as an industrial photographer based in Cleveland. "I stood on the deck to watch the city come into view," she said of her Lake Erie boat trip to the Ohio...

Multitasking adults have hands full.(Life in America)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... While a large number of American adults are multitasking, they are not necessarily succeeding in accomplishing more, relates a poll released by Scientific American Mind. According to the study, multitasking is widespread at home and work....

Here comes the bride ... and all those guests.(Springtime Traditions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Even if you are having a traditional wedding this spring, you may be looking for some special touches to personalize the big day. Becky Long, author of Something Old, Something New, offers the following last-minute ways to get creative. *...

Garage and closets garner most attention.(Spring Cleaning)
April 1, 2005... When people think of spring cleaning, the first areas of the home that come to mind are closets and the garage, according to the Rubbermaid Organization Survey. Nearly one-third of the respondents said closets were the thing most in need of a...

Food and friends strengthen link to god.(Religion)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... There is a direct link between human friendships and spiritual maturity, concludes a study commissioned by Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, Colo., and conducted by the Gallup Organization. Research shows that people with close friendships in...

Is time more valuable than money?(Volunteer Service)
April 1, 2005... The majority of American adults performed some form of volunteer service in 2004, and most volunteers maintained that their motivation was to act on their moral values, a national Thrivent Financial for Lutherans survey reports. Fifty-seven...

Officials should not compromise beliefs.(Public Office)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... As public officials continue to wrestle with hot-button issues ranging from abortion to gay rights to the death penalty, they may find thinner ranks of citizens supporting compromise. Those are some of the findings from a national survey by...

Indians created first major urban centers.(North American Culture)(prehistoric settlement Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville, Illinois)
April 1, 2005... Though not as well known as their counterparts in Mexico and the American Southwest, the Indians in the ancient Midwest and South thrived for millennia, as their settlements transformed the untamed wilderness (between 2000 B.C. and A.D. 1600)...

Rising EU productivity still lags behind U.S.(Economics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The European Union, spurred by gains in both its old and newest members, has registered rising productivity growth, but still significantly trails the U.S., reports a study by The Conference Board, New York. Productivity in the EU-25 nation...

Ending corporate secrecy on soft money.(Political Contributions)
April 1, 2005... Corporate secrecy on political contributions harms shareholders by denying them information critical for evaluating management performance and company behavior, a report from the Center for Political Accountability, Washington, D.C., insists....

Economic stability tied to vitamins.(Worldview)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Boosting the availability of key vitamins and nutrients in the diets of people in developing countries is vital to the long-term health and economic stability of those nations, contends Montague Demment, director of the Global Livestock...

Credit rating agencies need review board.(Business & Finance)
April 1, 2005... The establishment of a review board should be the top priority for regulators seeking to eliminate the conflicts of interest inherent in today's credit rating agencies, according to Weiss Ratings, Inc., Jupiter, Fla., an independent provider of...

Kyoto climate rules sap economic strength.(Global Warning)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The U.S. and Australia were wise to refuse to ratify the fatally flawed and potentially disastrous Kyoto Protocol climate treaty--which entered into force in February--declares the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C. The United...

Buzz off with those buzzwords.(Business Practices)
April 1, 2005... Companies claiming to create "synergies" in an effort to develop a "value-added" "paradigm" that leads to new "solutions" may want to be strategic in another way--not going overboard with cliche phrases and industry jargon. Executives were...

Employee retention not high priority.(Workforce)
April 1, 2005... With the job market improving, workers may be tempted to test new waters--and many companies are proving lax when it comes to staff retention. Only half of advertising and marketing executives polled by The Creative Group, Menlo Park, Calif., a...

Expanding workforce greets new grads.(Job Market)
April 1, 2005... THE NEARLY 1,400,000 college students graduating this spring will find the strongest entry-level job market in over three years, as employers attempt to rebuild bench strength following a period of record downsizing that slashed more than...