“Super Memory” Pill–and Possibly an Alzheimer’s Cure–Could Be Around the Corne'

"Scientists have isolated a gene in mice that works to give them "super memories' and reverses the course of several degenerative mental illnesses like Alzheimer's. And because of the similarity of mice and human brains, a powerful brain pill for humans may now not be far off."

Pair of NASA Studies Reaffirm Impact of Global Warming

"NASA officials have released a pair of new studies showing that global warming could lead to a major transformation for Earth's plants and animals over the next century."

Many U.S. Surgeons Don’t Discuss Patients’ Wishes in End-of-Life Care: Study

"Many U.S. surgeons fail to discuss their patients’ wishes in case a risky operation goes awry, and even more would not operate if patients limited what could be done to keep them alive, a survey found."

Revenues up for State, Local Governments

"Tax revenues of U.S. state and local governments rose in the third quarter, the U.S. Census said on Tuesday, marking the eighth straight quarter of growth and heralding the promise of continued economic recovery in areas where revenues collapsed during the recent recession."

Social Networking Booming in Egypt, Russia, Survey Finds

"People in poorer countries send text messages more often than those in wealthier countries. Men in Spain and Germany access the Internet on their phones twice as much as women do. . ."

FBI: U.S. Violent Crime Down in 2011, Fewer Murders, Rapes

"Murders, rapes and other violent crimes dropped sharply in the United States in the first six months of 2011, continuing a downward trend that has lasted 4 1/2 years, the FBI reported on Monday."

Report: States Have Cut Thousands of Government Jobs Since Recession

"State governments across the country have cut more than 80,000 jobs since the beginning of the recession, reflecting steep drops in tax revenue and providing a drag on the economies in many parts of the country, the Associated Press has found."

Online Holiday Sales Hit $31B, 15% Over Last Year So Far

"Shoppers have spent $30.9 billion online from Nov. 1 through Dec. 16, up from $26.9 billion at the same point last year, said the Reston, Va.-based company, which tracks Web use."

Study: Nearly 1 in 3 Will Be Arrested by Age 23

"The new data show a sharp increase from a previous study that stunned the American public when it was published 44 years ago by criminologist Ron Christensen. That study found 22% of youth would be arrested by age 23. The latest study finds 30.2% of young people will be arrested by age 23."

Report: Half of U.S. Schools Fail Federal Standards

"Nearly half of America's public schools didn't meet federal achievement standards this year, marking the largest failure rate since the much-criticized No Child Left Behind Law took effect a decade ago, according to a national report released Thursday."

CEO Pay Jumped 36.5% Last Year

"After two years of lower pay packages, chief executives at the nation's major companies enjoyed a 36.5% jump in pay last year, according to a leading survey of CEO compensation."

Millions of Americans Are Victims of Sexual Violence: CDC

"According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 million American women and men suffer some type of partner violence each year, with by far the biggest burden borne by women. American women suffer more than 1 million rapes annually, the CDC report said, and almost one in every five women will be the victim of rape at some point in her life."

'I Do' Not? Marriage Rates at Record Low, Pew Analysis Finds

"Just over half of all adult Americans, 51%, are currently married, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data by the Pew Research Center. The center predicts that, if the current trends continue, the share of currently married adults will fall below half within a few years. In 1960, 72% of all adults 18 and older were married."

AT&T Still Worst Carrier, Consumer Reports Says

"AT&T remains the worst carrier in the United States, according to an annual customer satisfaction survey compiled by Consumer Reports and released on Tuesday."

Floods, Landslides, Fire and Drought: Extreme Weather the Norm in 2011

"According to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) provisional status report, issued at the United Nations climate talks in Durban, 2011 was the 10th warmest year on record and warmer than any other year with a La Nina event."

2011 is Record Year for $1B Disasters in U.S.

"The United States had a record 12 weather and climate disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damages in 2011, and that number could increase as other assessments wrap up, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday."

Atheists Who Go to Church: Doing It for the Children

"A new study out of Rice University has found that 17 percent -- about one out of five scientists who describe themselves as either atheists or agnostics -- actually go to church, although not too often, and not because they feel a spiritual yearning to join the faithful. More likely, it's because of the kids."

Poll: Religious Believers Concerned With Environment

"A majority of the religious in the United States supports environmental regulation, a poll released Wednesday said."

NASA Catalogs Thousands of Asteroids Near Earth

"About 1,000 asteroids big enough to cause catastrophic damage if they hit Earth are orbiting relatively nearby, a NASA survey shows."

National Report Praises School-Choice System for New York City Students

"New York has the most effective school-choice system of any of the nation’s largest school districts, allowing students and parents the most freedom and providing them with the most relevant information on educational performance, according to a new Brookings Institution report scheduled for publication online Wednesday."

Private-College Presidents Getting Higher Salaries

"Chief executives at 36 private colleges earned more than $1 million in 2009, as the median compensation rose to $385,900, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education."

Doctors Shy to Tell Parents Their Kid Is Overweight

". . . doctors and other health professionals might be reticent to warn parents their child is overweight, according to a study published Dec. 5 in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Less than a quarter of parents of overweight children recall ever being told their child had a weight problem, the study found."

Earth-like Planet Discovered in 'Habitable' Zone

"Astronomers on Monday reported the discovery of an Earth-like planet outside the solar system whose size and distance from its own star put it in the 'habitable' zone. . ."

Study: 84 Percent of Workers Looking to Leave Their Jobs

"A new survey by Right Management, the consulting arm of staffing group Manpower, finds that a whopping 84% of employees are planning on searching for a new job in 2012."

Study Finds How Child Abuse Changes the Brain

"Children exposed to family violence show the same pattern of activity in their brains as soldiers exposed to combat, scientists said on Monday."

Supreme Court Rejects Worship at Public School Appeal

"The U.S. Supreme Court let stand on Monday a ruling that religious groups cannot use public schools facilities for worship services outside of normal school hours in a case about church-state separation."

U.S. Power Grid Needs Cybersecurity Protection: Panel

"The threat of cyberattacks on the U.S. power grid should be dealt with by a single federal agency, not the welter of groups now charged with the electric system's security, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported on Monday."

Cost of Federal Unemployment Benefits So Far: $434 Billion

"Jobless Americans have collected $434 billion in unemployment benefits over the past four years. Taxpayers have footed $184.7 billion of the tab incurred during the federal government's unparalleled response to the Great Recession, according to Labor Department data. State and federal taxes on employers cover the rest."

Would You Kill One Person to Save Five? New Research on a Classic Debate

"This dilemma is a famous philosophical conundrum that was originally called the 'trolley problem.' Now a team from Michigan State University's psychology department has used virtual-reality technology to test how we respond psychologically and physiologically when faced with this problem."

Most People Go Online 'for No Particular Reason,' Survey Finds

"Americans are going online to pass the time more than they were just a few years ago, according to a new study."

Better Data, Better Rates

"Colleges may be able to improve their graduation rates by gaining a better understanding of the students they enroll, according to a report being released today."

International Comparison Of Teacher Quality

"Not only does our public-education system rank 26th out of 34 nations when it comes to graduation rates, but the U.S. also fails at treating teachers as professionals."

New Zealand Has World's Cleanest Government, Survey Finds

"New Zealand tops the list of the world’s cleanest governments, followed by Finland and Denmark, while Somalia and North Korea tied for the dubious distinction of most corrupt, according to a report Wednesday from Transparency International."

Districts Pay Less in Poor Schools, Report Says

"Tens of thousands of schools serving low-income students are being shortchanged because districts spend fewer state and local dollars on teacher salaries in those schools than on salaries in schools serving higher-income students."

Gender Inequality Persists in Multitasking: Study

"Men may be helping more in the home but working women still do more multitasking in U.S. families than their partners and are finding it stressful, according to a new study."

Study: Cyber Monday was Biggest Online Shopping Day Ever in U.S.

"Monday was the highest-grossing online shopping day in U.S. history, with spending reaching $1.25 billion, according to market research firm comScore. That's up 22% from the previous record, which was last year's Cyber Monday."

Americans to Forfeit $34.3 Billion in Vacation Days

"The average American worker earned 14 vacation days this year but will only take 12 of them, according to a survey by Expedia. That's about the same number of days they left on the table last year."