Fewer People Live in Poverty But More are Hungry, U.N. Says

According to the World Bank, "there are about 1.3 billion people in developing countries who live in poverty. But that number is going down. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 925 million hungry people in the world. That's one in seven people, and that number is going up."

Corporate Finance Chiefs' Pay Up 19%

"Chief financial officers are taking on more responsibility and getting paid more for it, as their companies come off a successful year, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The 2010 median salaries of CFOs for S&P 500 companies increased by 19 percent from a year earlier to $2.9 million, the paper's survey showed. Pay fell 5 percent in 2009 from 2008."

Effects of Sexual Abuse Last for Decades, Study Finds

"Young girls who are the victims of sexual abuse experience physical, biological and behavioral problems that can persist for decades after, a new study shows."

Greenland Ice Melts Most in Half-Century: US

"Greenland's ice sheet melted the most it has in over a half century last year, US government scientists said Tuesday in one of a series of 'unmistakable' signs of climate change."

Study Finds Americans are Eating More - and More Often

"Americans may be cutting back on super-sized meals, but waistlines continue to expand from more frequent eating, according to a study released on Wednesday."

Report: China Taking Lead in Material Science Studies

"Chinese researchers have overtaken U.S. and Japanese ones in materials science, concludes a study of scientific publications globally, which warns the 'quality gap' between nations is starting too close as well."

Dads Work More -- Not Less -- Than Other Men, Survey Finds

"Dads who have kids at home work more — not less — than men who don't, according to a new report about men's increasing work-family conflict."

Colleges With High Costs and With Rapidly Increasing Costs

"The 'Hall of Shame' of college pricing has been released: federally compiled lists of the country’s most expensive institutions and those that have raised tuition the most in recent years."

Study Finds More Pollution at Beaches Nationwide

"The Natural Resources Defense Council, which released its annual report Wednesday, found that beach closures and advisories across the country increased by 29 percent in 2010 compared to a year earlier."

Report: More Than 100 Million Suffer Lasting Pain

"At least 116 million U.S. adults experience long-lasting pain — the kind that lingers for weeks to months — and too often feel stigma rather than relief from a health care system poorly prepared to treat them, the Institute of Medicine said Wednesday."

Report: Nearly Half of High School Students Using Drugs, Alcohol

"A report from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) revealed that nearly half of all of high school students in the U.S. are using addictive substances, and one in three of them are addicted."

Diet Sodas Don't Help with Dieting

"People who said they drank two or more diet sodas a day experienced waist size increases that were six times greater than those of people who didn't drink diet soda, according to researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio."

Study Finds Kids Who Surf Internet Are Better Readers

"Parents might label it a waste of time but the hours spent surfing the internet, chatting online, and even on the dreaded Facebook appear to improve children's reading skills, The Australian reported Wednesday."

Economists See Brighter Second Half for 2011

"Most analysts say economic growth will perk up in the second half of the year. The reason is that the main causes of the slowdown — high oil prices and manufacturing delays because of the disaster in Japan — have started to fade."

Report: 25 Years Since Global Temps Were Below Average

"It's been more than 300 months since the average global average temperature was below average, scientists and the U.S. government said in the annual State of the Climate report released Tuesday."

Cost of US Wars Since 9/11? At Least $3.7 Trillion, Study Finds

"The final bill will reach at least $3.7 trillion and could be as high as $4.4 trillion, according to the research project 'Costs of War' by Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies."

Study: More Borders, Money Mean More War

"A British study says the frequency of wars between world states has increased for more than a century, fed by economic growth and the proliferation of borders."

More Children Living With Grandparents

"The number of children in the United States living with at least one grandparent jumped 64 percent from 1991 to 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau says."

Survey Says 80 Percent of Faculty Use Social Media in Their Teaching

"More than 80 percent of college faculty use some form of social media in their teaching, with online video by far the most popular application, according to a new survey from the Babson Survey Research Group and Pearson."

China's Great Swindle: How Public Officials Stole $120 Billion

"The report quotes statistics based on research by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: 18,000 Communist Party and government officials, public-security members, judicial cadres, agents of state institutions and senior-management individuals of state-owned enterprises have fled China since 1990. Also missing is about $120 billion."

Study: 12 Percent of US Households Own e-Reader

"A study finds that 12 percent of U.S. households now own a reading device for electronic books, such as Amazon's Kindle. That's three times the number of households that owned an e-reader just a year ago, pointing to rapid acceptance."

Study: Calories, Not Protein or Carbs, are Key to Weight Loss

"Curbing calories is the key ingredient for diabetics seeking to lose weight, and low-fat diets that are either high in protein or high in carbs are equally effective, researchers say."

Study: American Men Do Less Household Work Than Women

"The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has released a study examining gender inequality in the 'unpaid economy' -- household chores and childcare for example. Their findings? Women in the United States work about 100 more unpaid minutes per day then men."

Google Gets 1 Billion 'Unique' Visitors

"The market research firm ComScore says that with its search page, Gmail and YouTube, this is the first time any web company's user base has hit 10 digits. Actually, the number was 1 billion, 9 million, 699 thousand."

Survey: Data Breaches Have Almost Become 'A Statistical Certainty'

"In a survey of 583 U.S. companies, 90 percent of them said they had been hacked in the past year."

New Report Describes How to Cut College Costs Through Greater Efficiencies

"Eliminating academic programs with low enrollments, trimming unnecessary administrative jobs, and increasing faculty-to-student ratios could help curb runaway costs on college campuses, according to a new report published by the American Enterprise Institute’s Future of American Education Project."

U.S. Will Need Another 20 Million Workers With Some College Education

"The nation has been producing too few college-educated workers since 1980 and will need an additional 20 million workers with at least some postsecondary education over the next 15 years to meet future economic requirements and to reduce income inequality, says a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce."

LinkedIn Study: Men Are Better at Social Networking than Women

"According to a new study by the career networking site, there are more men than women on LinkedIn, and the women that are on there have fewer connections then their male counterparts."

Study: Europe Snowpack Affects U.S. Winter

"Weather forecasters analyzing snow cover in North America to forecast winter conditions may be looking in the wrong place, some researchers say."

Report: The Two 'Most American' Cars are Japanese

"The two most American cars aren't, well, American, according to a new ranking by our friends at Cars.com. For the third straight year, Toyota Camry, a product of Japan's largest automaker, is the 'most American car,' as determined by Cars.com formula."

Climate Change: Public Skeptical, Scientists Sure

"A recent poll asked citizens to estimate how climate scientists feel about global warming. Only 13 percent of Americans correctly answered that about 97 percent of American scientists say that climate change is happening."

The Value Of College, In 2 Graphs

The Value Of College, In 2 Graphs

Hispanic-White Achievement Gap Still Wide in Education: Report

"The Hispanic-white educational achievement gap has remained wide over the past two decades, according to a new report by the Department of Education's statistical center that a Department statement calls 'sobering.'"

The Best High Schools in America

"NEWSWEEK studied more than 1,000 top schools to determine the best of the best: the ones producing kids ready for college—and life."

Mental Illness Often Ignored By Churches

"Mental illness is prevalent in church communities but is also accompanied by significant distress that is often ignored, U.S. researchers found."

Banning "Light" From Cigarette Packs Falls Short

"More and more countries are banning the words "light" and "mild" from cigarette packs, but a new study suggests that may not be enough to dispel smokers' misbeliefs that the products are safer."

Newport Ads Target Black Youth: Stanford Study

"Cigarette maker Lorillard Inc targeted California school neighborhoods with high proportions of African-American students for its Newport menthol cigarettes, Stanford University said on Friday."

Report: Fight Fat Even in Toddlers, Preschoolers

"Children don't usually outgrow their baby fat — and a new report warns that it's time for steps to help prevent babies, toddlers and preschoolers from getting too pudgy too soon."

Low Tuition and Fees Increases for Third Year in a Row

"Published tuition and fees at private colleges and universities will be an average of 4.6 percent higher this fall than last, according to a survey of 429 institutions by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. This marks the third consecutive year of hikes of about 4.5 percent. . .it represents a drop-off from the 10 years leading up to the recession, when tuition rose by a national average of 6 percent."

U.S. Colleges' Appeal Fading for Foreign Students

"From 2000 to 2008, the number of students enrolled in a college outside their home country soared 85% to 3.3 million. During that time the U.S. share shrank, from 24% to 19%, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operative Development."

Study: Fixing Public Pensions to Cost Taxpayers $300 to $2,400 a Year

"American taxpayers would have to pay anywhere from $329 to $2,475 annually per household for 30 years, depending on what state they live in, to remedy the crises in their public employee pensions, a new study said Wednesday."

Mobile Ads to be $4B Industry by 2015

"The mobile advertising industry is projected to reach $4 billion in revenues in 2015 according to a report from research firm BIA/Kelsey."

TV and Soda: Small Habits Cause Excess Pounds

"Just a few bad habits -- watching TV, eating potato chips, having a sugary soda at lunch or staying up too late at night -- can add up to a steady creep of pounds over the years, U.S. researchers said Wednesday."

Study: Quake Could Cripple Calif. Economy

"A major earthquake in Southern California would have a devastating effect on the region's economy and workforce, a report says."

Fat Substitutes May Make People Fatter

"A study using rats suggests synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie foods could lead to weight gain instead of weight loss, U.S. researchers say."

Americans Eat 580 Calories a Day in Snacks

"Americans eat an average 580 calories a day in snacks -- enough for a fourth meal -- but U.S. researchers say the snacks may not be linked to weight gain."

Weather Costs U.S. Economy Billions Yearly

"Weather events such as rain and cooler-than-average days can have a cost effect on the U.S. economy of as much as $485 billion annually, researchers say."

Census: Whites Make Up Minority of Babies in U.S.

"For the first time, whites make up the minority of babies in the U.S., part of a sweeping race change and a growing age divide between mostly white, older Americans and predominantly minority youths that could reshape government policies."

Bad Choices, Not Aging, Pack on the Pounds

"Adults gain an average of almost a pound a year as they age, and much of that weight gain is caused by changes in diet such as eating extra servings of foods such as potato chips, french fries, sugar-sweetened drinks, white bread and low-fiber breakfast cereals, says the largest, most comprehensive study of diet and weight gain in adults."

Half of U.S. Evangelical Leaders Gloomy About Future, Study Finds

"Half the world's evangelical Protestant leaders are optimistic about the future, confident that evangelical Christians have an increasing influence in their countries and that things will be better for them in five years. The other half are pessimists, convinced they're losing influence on the life of their countries and mostly not persuaded that things will be better for Christianity where they live in the future."

The 2010 Global IBM CEO Study

The 2010 Global IBM CEO Study involved "over 1500 face-to-face interviews—the largest known study of its kind with CEOs from companies of all sizes across 60 countries, representing 33 industries." A Youtube discussion summarizing some of the results of the study is here.

Why American Management Rules the World

"The U.S. may lag at soccer, but Americans are the Brazilians of the boardroom, according to a group of European researchers."

Report: Leaks at U.S. Nuke Sites Hard to Detect

"U.S. nuclear power plant operators haven't figured out how to quickly detect leaks of radioactive water from aging pipes that snake underneath the sites — and the leaks, often undetected for years, are not going to stop, according to a new report by congressional investigators."

Many Children Not Getting Enough Exercise: Study

"Many American youngsters are not getting enough physical activity and parents are failing to make their children's health a priority, according to a new study."

Americans, Europeans Differ on Animal Cloning

"Americans may be more accepting of consuming cloned animal products than Europeans, a researcher on consumer attitudes toward food safety says."

Study: Galaxies are 'Awake' or 'Asleep'

"U.S. astronomers say they've discovered that galaxies in the universe display one of two distinct behaviors: they are either 'awake' or 'asleep.'"

Preschoolers Show Ethnic Preferences

"Canadian researchers say a study of preschoolers suggests young children may have a preference for interacting with kids of their own ethnic group."

Study: Ancient Tools Developed Human Brain

"Advanced crafting of stone spearheads and other tools contributed to the development of new ways of human thinking and behaving, Swedish archaeologists say."

Obesity Rates By Country

Obesity Rates By Country (Map)

Government Layoffs Slow U.S. Cities' Recoveries

"The layoffs of thousands of government workers may threaten the already slow-motion economic recovery in many U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Brookings Institution."

Troop Drawdown Will Not Reduce Costs Significantly

"But according to an analysis conducted by the Center for a New American Security, if 15,000 troops were removed in fiscal year 2012, taxpayers would save $7 billion over the previous year's spending levels."

Women Will Wed for Love, if Partner Has Job: Poll

"Most women would marry for love over money -- unless the man is unemployed, according to a new survey."

Ocean Life on the Brink of Mass Extinctions: Study

"Life in the oceans is at imminent risk of the worst spate of extinctions in millions of years due to threats such as climate change and over-fishing, a study showed on Tuesday."

California the Nation's Car Theft Capital: Survey

"California is the car theft capital of the United States, according to a new analysis of crime statistics released on Tuesday."

College Entrance Exam ACT's Validity Questioned

"A new study finds that parts of the test have "little or no" ability to help colleges predict whether applicants will succeed."

Giving Rose by 2.1% Last Year, New Estimate Shows

"As many economic signs have pointed to a slowing recovery, donors continued to hold tight to their wallets last year, increasing their contributions by slightly more than 2 percent after inflation, suggests 'Giving USA,' the annual tally of charitable giving in America, released on Monday."

Most Medicare Patients With Cancer Get Good Surgical Care: Study

Most U.S. cancer patients covered by Medicare receive appropriate surgical care at the nation's hospitals, a new study finds.

Panel: Problems With Oceans Multiplying, Worsening

"Scientists will present a new report on the oceans to the United Nations on Tuesday. They say the troubles are from global warming and other man-made problems. Those include dead zones from farm run-off, overfishing, an increase in acidity from too much carbon dioxide, habitat destruction and melting sea ice."

Good Marriage = Good Fathers

"There is a positive correlation between marital quality and the quality of the father-child relationship, the California Healthy Marriages Coalition says."

Poverty, Poor Education, and Poor Social Support Deadly as a Heart Attack

"Poverty, lack of education and poor social support contribute to as many U.S. deaths as heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer, researchers say."

Developing Countries Have Most Refugees

"There are 43.7 million refugees in the world -- 80 percent of them in developing nations -- a United Nations report says."

One Fifth of Voters Say They Won't Back Mormon

"While the majority of Americans say they'd vote for their party's presidential nominee if that person is a Mormon, more than a fifth wouldn't, a poll indicates."

21 Million Treated in Non-Profit Clinics

"The U.S. safety net -- private, non-profit health centers and clinics -- for those with no health insurance is stretched treating 21 million, researchers say."

California Execution Costs Top $308 Million -- Each

"Each of the 13 executions California has carried out since reinstating capital punishment in 1978 has cost taxpayers about $308 million, a study says."

Demand for Video Driving Mobile Data Traffic-Report

"Up to 60 percent of mobile data traffic is generated by consumers watching video, with owners of Apple's iPhone driving the demand, according to a company that specialises in traffic management."

Tablets Make Digital Textbooks Cool on Campus

"Students with tablets overwhelmingly prefer digital texts, one study shows, a sign students are now embracing e-books."

Average YouTube User Watches Five Hours of Video Per Month

"On average, a YouTube user will spend five hours out of each month watching videos."

Teen Brains Can Predict Hit Pop Songs, Study Shows

Although the teens' tastes in music from their likability ratings showed no link to a song's commercial success, their brain scans told another story: Activity in the ventral striatum -- the brain's reward region -- was predictive of future sales figures and popularity.

Diet Tied to Lower Risk of Vision Loss in Old Age

"For people at a higher risk of losing central vision as they age, eating sufficient levels of certain dietary nutrients could help protect their eyes."

21st Century Evangelicals in the UK

Interesting report on Evangelicals in the United Kingdom

More Physicians Leaving Private Practices

"A survey by Accenture indicates more U.S. physicians are selling their private practices to work at larger healthcare systems."

Report: Facebook Users More Trusting, Engaged

"A new survey is countering views that social networks isolate people."

Officials Predict Prolonged High Food Prices

"High food prices are likely to rise even further over the next decade, putting the poor at an increasing risk of malnutrition and hunger."

New Data on College Students and Overconfidence

"The study found that a growing percentage of incoming college freshmen rated themselves as 'above average' in several categories."

Cancer Death Rates Continue Drop: Report

"U.S. cancer death rates are continuing to fall, but not all segments of the population are benefiting, the American Cancer Society said Friday."

Study: Student Coaching is Successful

"A new independent study finds that students who received coaching were considerably more likely to stay enrolled—and to graduate—than students who did not get such help. Moreover, the study found that one-on-one coaching was a cost-effective strategy."

Evangelicals: Less Likely to Vote for Gay or Mormon Candidates

"The May 25-30 survey from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press asked people how they would vote for presidential candidates with different traits. The survey found that a third of evangelicals (34 percent) said they would be less likely to vote for someone who is Mormon, compared to Mainline Protestants (19 percent) or Catholics (16 percent)."

CDC: High School Students Don't Exercise Enough

"Roughly one-third of high school students in the U.S. drink two or more sodas, sports drinks, or other sugary beverages per day, but only 15% get the one hour of daily aerobic exercise that health officials recommend, according to the results of a nationwide survey released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Myspace Users are More Open-Minded, Study Says

"People who regularly visit Myspace tend to be more open-minded, according to a study released Thursday."

Nonprofit Colleges Are More ‘Profitable’ Than For-Profits, Report Says

"Nonprofit colleges have higher 'profit' margins than their for-profit peers, according to a report that compares the sectors’ per-pupil spending and revenue."

Children Caring for Parents Lose $300,000

"The 10 million U.S. adult children now caring for aging parents will lose about $3 trillion in wages, pension and Social Security benefits, a survey indicates."

College Students Sleep Longer, Drink More

"The study by lead author Pamela Thacher at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., and co-author Serge Onyper found not only did later class start times predict more drinking and sleeping, but also modestly lower grades, overall."

Moms Feel Overwhelmed By Responsibilities: Poll

"Many U.S. mothers feel like single parents, whether they are married or not, and two out of three resent handling all the household chores even when they prefer their partners to stand aside, a new survey shows."

Most Tumors Not Within Cell Phone Radiation Range

"Brain tumors among cell phone users are not clustered within range of most of the radiation emitted from the devices, a new report finds - suggesting that mobile phones do not cause cancer."

Study: Men Expected to Die 5 Years Earlier Than Women

"Men have a life expectancy five years shorter than women, a higher risk of cancer, injury, smoking, illicit drug use and obesity but are less likely to see a doctor, according to a new Australian study released Tuesday."

Euthanasia Study in Belgium Raises Serious Concerns

"Doctors are harvesting lungs from patients in Belgium who’ve been euthanized because the organs are in much better condition compared to someone who has died in an accident, according to a study published in the journal Applied Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology."

Internet Calls to Generate $40 Billion by 2015: Report

"The market for making phone calls over the Internet is set to more than double to $40 billion within five years, researchers said."

Study: How Satanists See Death

"A researcher from Concordia University recently published a journal article with some rare access to high level Satanists exploring what they think about death and dying."

Workers Not as Loyal as Companies Think

"Recently, insurance and financial services firm MetLife released a new study indicating that not only is employee loyalty at its lowest point since 2008, but that some employers evidently aren't aware of this fact."

Life Expectancy in U.S. Trails Top Nations

"Life expectancy in most U.S. counties lags behind that of the world's healthiest nations, in some cases by 50 years or more, according to a new analysis of government data."

A Defect That May Lead to a Masterpiece

"Instead, so-called stereo blindness — in which the eyes are out of alignment so the brain cannot fuse the images from each one — may actually be an asset."

Report: Students Don't Know Much About US History

"Just 13 percent of high school seniors who took the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress — called the Nation's Report Card — showed solid academic performance in American history."

Opioids Cause of 50,000 U.S. ER Visits

"Opioids -- pain-relief drugs like methadone, morphine and oxycodone -- were responsible for nearly 50,000 U.S. emergency room visits in 2006, researchers say."

Scientists Combine Human Cell, Jellyfish Into Living Laser

"Scientists have merged light-emitting proteins from jellyfish with a single human cell to create a unique first: a living, biological laser, according to a report published in the journal Nature Photonics."

Report Finds Funding Threat to Mental Illness Drugs

"European neuroscientists said on Tuesday that the withdrawal by some big drugmakers from research into illnesses like depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's could halt the discovery of new drugs."

Entertainment, Media Spending Hits $433B in 2010

"Advances in digital entertainment and advertising helped push U.S. entertainment and media spending in 2010 to $433 billion, up 3% from 2009, says a PricewaterhouseCoopers report out today. That's the first increase in three years."

Survey: CEOs Expect Hiring, Spending to Grow

"More than half of the chief executives of large U.S. companies said they expect to spend and hire more over the next six months despite slower economic growth."

Islamic Education on the Rise in US, Struggle for Acceptance

"The Islamic School League of America (ISLA), a nonprofit that connects Muslim educators and institutions, estimates that 40,000 students are enrolled in Islamic schools in the United States, a 25 percent increase from 2006."

Economists Warn Against Any New Fed Action

"The best cure for the economy now is time. That's the overwhelming opinion of leading economists in a new Associated Press survey. They say the Federal Reserve shouldn't bother trying to stimulate the economy — and could actually do damage if it did."

U.S. Adults Eating Less Fruit, Vegetables

"U.S. adults, particularly Hispanics, are eating fewer fruits and vegetables and engaging in less healthy behaviors, a Gallup poll indicates."

We Are All Mutants, Scientists Discover

"A breakthrough study has revealed that each one of us receives approximately 60 new mutations in our genome from our parents."

Deaths No Higher in Coffee Lovers With Heart Disease

"Women with heart disease who down a few cups of coffee each day tend to live as long as those who avoid the beverage, according to a study."

Nation's Largest Protestant Group Faces 'Decline'

"In 2010, Southern Baptists baptized 332,321 people, or 17,416 fewer than in 2009, according to a report released by Nashville-based LifeWay Research. This marks the eighth time in 10 years that baptisms have declined and the lowest number of baptisms since the 1950s."

Report: No College Degree for 25% of State Legislators

"The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that about 25% of the nation's nearly 7,400 state legislators do not have a bachelor's degree or higher."

What Makes a Song Popular? The Brain May Know

"New research from Emory University suggests that particular patterns of brain activity may be able to predict the popularity of music. More importantly, says lead researcher Gregory Berns, brain research might help forecast how culturally influential ideas can become. The study will be published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology."

Schoolyard Bullies More Likely to Abuse Partners

"Boys who are bullies at school are at increased risk of abusing their partner later in life -- a link that U.S. researchers say could hold potential for curbing domestic violence, which affects about a fourth of all U.S. women."

Bariatric Surgery Doesn't Help Obese Live Longer, Study Says

"Getting bariatric surgery will not decrease mortality several years after the surgery, according to a study published in JAMA."

Cellphones 'Possibly Carcinogenic,' Report Suggests

"An international panel of experts says cellphones are possibly carcinogenic to humans after reviewing details from dozens of published studies."

Cancer Costs Put Treatments Out of Reach for Many

"Cancer patients are abandoning medical care because the costs are simply too high and medical bills -- even among the insured -- are unmanageable and risk bankruptcy, studies show."

Rising Forest Density Offsets Climate Change: Study

"Rising forest density in many countries is helping to offset climate change caused by deforestation from the Amazon basin to Indonesia, a study showed on Sunday."

College Library Directors on Libraries' Digital Direction

"Most college library directors would order print books removed from the library if there was a robust and trustworthy way to provide access to electronic versions, according to a new study released today by the nonprofit Ithaka S+R."

Raising a Child Born in 2010 Costs More than $200,000, Report Finds

"With the economic recovery losing steam, couples may want to reconsider their plans to expand or start families after a new government report shows that raising children is getting more expensive."

Americans' Equity in Their Homes Near a Record Low

"Falling home prices have shrunk equity so much that the proportion of their homes that Americans actually own is near its lowest point since World War II. The Federal Reserve says average home equity plunged from more than 61 percent at the start of 2001 to 38 percent in the January-March quarter this year. That drop comes as home prices in big metro areas have reached their lowest level since 2002."

More Vaccines for Poor Could Save 6.4 Million Lives

"Millions of children's lives and billions of dollars could be saved if vaccines were more widely available in 72 of the world's poorest countries, according to a series of studies published on Thursday."

Fastest-Declining Academic Fields at 4-Year Colleges

Table: Fastest-Declining Academic Fields at 4-Year Colleges

To Raise Educational Levels, Focus on Income-Based Inequality, Report Urges

"Improving the degree-attainment rate of lower-income Americans is crucial to meeting a national college-completion goal, says the Pell Institute in a new report."

U.S. Muslims Double by 2030

"In the United States, the number of Muslims is expected to increase from 2.6 million in 2010 to 6.2 million by 2030, in large part because of immigration and higher-than-average fertility among Muslims."

Annual Portrait of Education Describes Swift Rise of For-Profit Colleges

"From 1999 to 2009, the sector quintupled its share of bachelor's degrees, while public and private nonprofit colleges lost market share, data in a new federal report show."

Study: How Adversity Shapes Culture

"Countries tend to have personalities just like people do. Researchers have set out to define those differences, using a scale that measures how tight the social rules and standards are. They find that cultural rules — as simple as when and where it's appropriate to kiss — are often shaped by a nation's experience with war, disease and other challenges."

More Retailers Hit By Organized Crime, Survey Finds

"Sophisticated technology, less staff at stores and more gang activity are all contributing to more U.S. stores being hit by organized crime, according to a survey by an industry group."

Hotter Summers in a Few Decades, Study Warns

"In the study to be published later this month in the journal Climate Change, Stanford University researchers conclude that many tropical regions in Africa, Asia and South America could see 'the permanent emergence of unprecedented summer heat' in the next two decades."

Women Soldiers as Mentally Resilient as Men: Study

"Women soldiers are as resilient in handling combat stress as the men they serve with, according to a new study of U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Twitter CEO: 80% of Advertisers Renew

"More than 80 percent of the companies that advertise on Twitter renew their marketing efforts on the microblogging service, the company's chief executive said on Wednesday."

Children of Divorce Score Worse in Math, Social Skills

"Children of divorced parents often fall behind their classmates in math and social skills and are more likely to suffer anxiety, stress and low self-esteem, according to a new study."

Report: 'The Global War on Drugs Has Failed'

"A report by a global commission on drug policy declares flatly that the the global war on drugs has failed, despite harsh measures against traffickers and years of vast expenditures to stamp out narcotics trafficking and use."

Most Twitter Users Access Service From Their Phones, Study Says

"Among U.S. adults who go online, 13% use Twitter -- and more than half (54%) of these people access the popular social media service with their mobile phone, according to new research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project."