USA TODAY articles from December 2007

USA TODAY archives from December 2007

Christmas' moral code hurts liberal agenda.(Christmas stories with politics)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Stories of nativity scenes, Christmas carols, and Santa Claus being banned from the public square make headlines daily, but one aspect of the story is not being reported--the effect on children. "The War On Christmas is sending the message to...

Driving at night proves dangerous.(Standard Time)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Now that we have set the clocks back to standard time--at least until March 9, 2008--findings from a survey conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of Road & Travel Magazine raise concerns for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians about what...

Ways to avoid "heartburn season".(Festive Foods)
December 1, 2007... Making merry often is synonymous with overindulging--whether from holiday feasts or rich desserts or alcoholic beverages. As a consequence, ringing in the holidays often turns into "heartburn season." Heartburn--generally caused by naturally...

'Tis the season for holiday stress.(women and stress)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Nearly half of all women in the U.S. experience heightened stress during the holidays at great risk to the health of their minds and bodies, according to a national survey released by the American Psychological Association. Despite repeated...

Would a new job make a good present?(career change)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Every year, as the holidays approach, most job seekers and career changers make the mistake of halting all their efforts. They believe there is no point in pursuing new opportunities during this season, and that nobody is making hiring...

Lost baggage claims are skyrocketing.(NOTEWORTHY)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Lost baggage claims are skyrocketing. In 2006, more than 240,000 bags never found their owners. Over 10,000 bags are lost every day in the U.S. alone. More than 1,000,000 pieces of luggage were lost, damaged, delayed, or pilfered by U.S....

Groundwater contaminated by sewage is reaching the offshore reefs of the Upper Florida Keys, possibly threatening corals and human health, according to a study from the University of Georgia, Athens.(NOTEWORTHY)
December 1, 2007... Groundwater contaminated by sewage is reaching the offshore reefs of the Upper Florida Keys, possibly threatening corals and human health, according to a study from the University of Georgia, Athens. "The widespread use of in-ground waste...

The much-anticipated blueprint for fighting global warming by reducing the amount of carbon emitted when transportation fuels are used--commissioned by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in January--has been released by the University of California.(NOTEWORTHY)
December 1, 2007... The much-anticipated blueprint for fighting global warming by reducing the amount of carbon emitted when transportation fuels are used--commissioned by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in January--has been released by the University of...

Home invasions.(crime prevention and self defense)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Home invasions. Rapes. Carjackings. Murders. Every day our local and national news report that these heinous crimes are being committed all around us. What rarely is reported is the number of crimes that are prevented when people use guns in...

Wal-Mart's first international venture was in Mexico in 1991 and, in economic terms, it has been an outstanding success.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Wal-Mart's first international venture was in Mexico in 1991 and, in economic terms, it has been an outstanding success. The company now is Mexico's most important retailer and largest private employer, with almost 150,000 workers. However,...

Employees who feel their good work goes unnoticed may have a case.(NOTEWORTHY)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Employees who feel their good work goes unnoticed may have a case. Some 35% of professionals polled by OfficeTeam, Menlo Park, Calif., are ineffective at rewarding their employees' strong performance. Thirty percent of managers surveyed agreed....

The purpose of U.S. sugar policies is to keep domestic prices artificially high, charges Chris Edwards, director of Tax Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C.(NOTEWORTHY)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The purpose of U.S. sugar policies is to keep domestic prices artificially high, charges Chris Edwards, director of Tax Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C. In recent decades, U.S. sugar prices typically have been two or more...

Will you see signs this holiday season?(Alzheimer's Disease)
December 1, 2007... The holidays are times for relatives to gather from near and far to celebrate the season. Often, this may be the only occasion all year that they get together, and family members often begin to notice small alterations in loved ones that might...

A photographer's life.(Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005)
December 1, 2007... The exhibition, "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005" includes more than 200 photographs, featuring well-known work made on editorial assignment, as well as personal photos of her family and close friends. "I don't have two...

Corporate tax cuts: U.S. is falling behind.(United States)
December 1, 2007... Seven nations in the European Union cut their corporate income tax rates this year. In the past five years, 16 EU countries have done so, as have 24 EU nations since 1995, reports Daniel J. Mitchell, senior fellow at the Cato Institute,...

FDR played politics with lives of Jews.(The World Yesterday)(Franklin D. Roosevelt)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... In the historical novel Barred: The Shameful Refusal of FDR's State Department to Save Tens of Thousands of Europe's Jews from Extermination, Carl L. Steinhouse contends that the U.S. and other countries acted to bar Jews from emigrating and...

Study shows juries often get it wrong.(Law & Justice)(Northwestern University's research on judicial error)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Juries across the country make decisions every day on the fate of defendants, ideally leading to prison sentences that fit the crime for the guilty and release for the innocent. Yet, a study from Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., shows...

Making sense of sound.(sound exhibition, Listen: Making Sense of Sound)
December 1, 2007... Dive into the sonic soup: "Listen: Making Sense of I Sound" features almost 60 interactive exhibits, 40 of them brand new. Listen for the aural clues that evoke a sense of place--automatic doors and cash registers vs. teaspoons clinking against...

Could acne cure result in MRSA?(Medicine & Health)(Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Parents naturally are worried by the seemingly rampant reports of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections in schools across the nation, as a teenage boy has died and dozens of students have contracted the bacterial...

Clay proves to be antimicrobial agent.(MRSA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... What makes some clays such powerful antimicrobial agents capable of killing Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and other virulent bacteria? It is a question that University at Buffalo (N.Y.) researchers have been studying for...

Be mindful of yuletide allergic reactions.(Decorations)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... As you begin pulling down the holiday decorations from the attic this season, doctors at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, have some tips for cutting down allergy risks. "Carrying items down from dusty attics or...

Men like to send them, too.(Christmas Cards)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Everyone enjoys receiving holiday cards, but who likes to send them? A national survey released by CardStore.com found that 69.8% of Americans send cards and that spreading cheer through the mail often comes from an unlikely source: men. The...

A pound here ... A pound there ...(weight gain during holidays)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Although some Americans gain five to seven pounds with a diet of big meals and sweets between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, most people only gain a pound or two during the holidays, according to a registered dietitian at the University of...

Do not let greed replace generosity.(Gift-Giving)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Children are generous by nature but, during the holiday season, they can be overwhelmed by greed. With so many advertisements focused on kids, youngsters can lose their natural balance. To counter the commercialism, parents need to reawaken...

Turn off television during visits.(Family Gatherings)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Too much television during the holidays can mean less face time with family members and friends, indicates a researcher from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "No matter the source of noise, we often fail to appreciate how other sounds in...

"Merry Christmas" is favored greeting.(Salutations)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... "Merry Christmas" is back on the lips of many retailers greeting shoppers, much to the delight of those who say they are offended when a store clerk uses the generic, but politically correct, "Happy Holidays," according to a Zogby Interactive...

The goose is gone bring on the turkey.(prefered Christmas foods)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... In the days of yore, families gathered around the Christmas table to feast on home-cooked roast goose, oyster stuffing, plum pudding, and plenty of wassail. Times have changed, though, and so has traditional holiday fare. Turkey (43%) is...

Missteps can cause headaches galore.(Bankruptcy)(credit counseling)
December 1, 2007... Under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, individuals hoping to file a petition in U.S. bankruptcy court now need to attend a credit counseling session from an agency approved by the Office of the U.S. Trustee...

Credit piggybacking can prevent foreclosure.(Subprime Crisis)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Individuals with adjustable mortgages whose payments have escalated beyond their means and whose credit scores are too low to refinance are finding a creative way to keep from losing their homes to foreclosure. Commonly referred to as credit...

Looks matter to women, too.(dating and personal appearance)
December 1, 2007... Women get pickier about whom they date the more options they have and although females say that they rate intelligence over attractiveness in their search for a mate, when they try "speed dating," physical attractiveness leads their...

Steps that can head off foreclosure.(financial planning)
December 1, 2007... Homeowners on the cusp of foreclosure due to subprime loans need to evaluate their options immediately, and not wait for a foreclosure notice before taking action, advises Nicholas Nicolette, president of the Financial Planning Association,...

Longer resumes now more acceptable.(Job Market)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The old standard of keeping your resume to one page may be on its way out, suggests a survey by Accountemps, Menlo Park, Calif., a specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. While 52% of...

American genius behind the shutter.(Museums Today)(Ansel Adams)
December 1, 2007... "The exhibition 'Ansel Adams' gives us the opportunity to explore the hidden EIE depths of an artist known for just a few iconic images. The wide range and high quality of pictures... reveal a photographer with many dimensions, not just the...

A fussy baby can strain weak marriage.(parenting and marriage)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Couples with infants who are particularly fussy or difficult typically do just fine as parents--as long as they have a strong marital relationship, note researchers at Ohio State University, Columbus. "When couples with a supportive marital...

Giant star showers "life" on earth.(Astronomy)(VY Canis Majoris)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Employing one of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes, astronomers are probing the oxygen-rich environment around a supergiant star, and have discovered a score of molecules that include compounds needed for life. "I don't think...

Another warm winter looks to be on tap.(Meteorology)
December 1, 2007... A forecast calling for "the heart" of the winter to be unseasonably warm across much of the U.S., with only the Northwest receiving average or above average cold and snow, has been issued by Joe Bastardi, chief long-range forecaster at...

Energy fees will hurt U.S. competitiveness.(Taxation)
December 1, 2007... Congress' proposed $15,000,000,000 tax hike on the U.S. oil industry will raise consumer prices and put domestic companies at a competitive disadvantage, warns the Institute for Energy Research, Washington, D.C. At the same time, rather than...

Heating fuel costs continue to rise.(Energy)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Consumers facing higher winter heating costs of four to 22%--depending on which fuel powers their home--can use energy efficiency to keep those expenses in check while remaining comfortable, advises the Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, D.C....

Canadian tar sands could quench U.S. thirst.(Oil Reserves)
December 1, 2007... Canadian tar sands deposits hold an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of crude oil, second in the world only to Saudi Arabia, but the environmental impact of mining them far exceeds that of conventional oil, writes Dan Woynillowicz for the...

"Grass station" is word of the year.(Lexicography)
December 1, 2007... Do environmentalists fall asleep to dreams about fields of Iowa corn filling up the tanks of station wagons? What about NASCAR drivers? Maybe they do, if recent advances in technology--and the popular buzz that follows--are any indication. That...

Ecolabeling: voting with our wallets.(Ecology)
December 1, 2007... ONE INSTRUMENT that can help in the environmental restructuring of the economy is ecolabeling, asserts Lester R. Brown, president of Earth Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. Labeling products that are produced with environmentally sound...