10 facts about 10 new members of Congress

Which new member of the House is a former reindeer farmer? Who is the biggest new tea party name in the Senate? Here’s a look at 10 new members of Congress with unique backgrounds.cruzwarrenThe 113thCongress is sworn in on January 3, 2013, and it’s a diverse bunch.There will be 90 new members of Congress to start the New Year, with 13 new senators and 67 representatives making their appearances in...

Read More..

Factbox: Key players in scramble to avoid U.S. "fiscal cliff"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The outcome of the "fiscal cliff" debate will be decided in four days, with just a handful of powerful leaders in Washington calling the shots, for better or for worse.Here are some of the politicians and administration figures who are involved in trying to head off the tax increases and federal spending cuts that will take hold in January unless Congress acts, possibly pushing...

Read More..

Curtain rises in 2013 on final act in soap opera over new arena for Oilers

EDMONTON - It started out as a sports arena but has become Edmonton's longest running soap opera.A cost-shared deal between the hockey-mad city and the Edmonton Oilers to build a palatial downtown rink for the NHL team went from deal to no-deal to possible deal in 2012, with all sides now agreeing a final resolution — one way or the other — must come early in 2013.It has been a series of setbacks...

Read More..

The 9 worst political gaffes of 2012

In an election season riddled with gaffes, flubs, and verbal miscues, here are the lowlightsThe arguably most damaging verbal flub of the 2012 election season — Mitt Romney's covertly recorded comments to wealthy donors that 47 percent of Americans are government-addicted moochers — wasn't even a classic inadvertent gaffe: He meant to say it, and even revisited the theme after he lost the presidential...

Read More..

Best of 2012: The Year of Comedy, Citizens United, Health Care Competition, and Trolls

AP Photo/Jacquelyn MartinRed lights illuminate Pennsylvania Avenue as the U.S. Capitol glows in the twilight, in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, as talks continue on the looming fiscal cliff. The Political Landscape is a weekly conversation with National Journal writers, editors, and outside experts on the news of the day.2012 was a year of ineffable change domestically and abroad. At home:...

Read More..

Long-lived bats offer clues on diseases, aging

The bat, a reservoir for viruses like Ebola, SARS and Nipah, has for decades stumped scientists trying to figure out how it is immune to many deadly bugs but a recent study into its genes may finally shed some light, scientists said on Friday.Studying the DNA of two distant bat species, the scientists discovered how genes dealing with the bats' immune system had undergone the most rapid change.This...

Read More..

Spectrum Pharma's blood cancer drug meets goal in mid-stage trial

 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc said a mid-stage trial of its experimental blood cancer drug met the main goal of shrinking tumors.The drug, belinostat, was tested in patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-Cell (PTCL) lymphoma, who have failed at least one therapy.The biotechnology company said it expects to file a marketing application with U.S. health regulators by mid-2013, and expects...

Read More..

Perennial Flu Vaccine Gets Closer

Every fall, you need a new flu shot. That's because today's vaccines train your immune system to recognize specific strains of flu—identified by two proteins on the virus's coat: hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. That's where the 'H' and 'N' come from in H1N1.Problem is, those proteins are a moving target—they mutate quickly. Once they do, your immune system can't recognize them. And you've got something...

Read More..

Spectrum Pharma's blood cancer drug meets trial goal

 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc said a mid-stage trial of its experimental blood cancer drug met the main goal of reducing the size of tumors.The biotechnology company's shares, which have fallen about 22 percent over the past 12 months, were up about 3 percent at $11.60 in morning trade on the Nasdaq and touched a high of $11.75 .The drug, belinostat, was tested in patients with relapsed or refractory...

Read More..

Mother loses UK legal fight to stop son's cancer radiotherapy

LONDON (Reuters) - A mother in Britain, who was so desperate to stop her cancer-stricken son having to undergo conventional medical treatment that she went into hiding with him, lost a court battle on Friday to prevent him receiving radiotherapy.The case of Sally Roberts, 37, a New Zealander living in Brighton, southern England, and the plight of her seven-year-old son has made headlines in Britain.Roberts...

Read More..

Do Baby Boomers Resent Their Children?

When new research came out recently about 20-somethings' financial struggles, the survey also revealed some encouraging news: Not only are members of Gen Y optimistic about their future, but older Americans--Gen Y's parents and grandparents--agreed that young people today have it rough. That kind of cross-generational solidarity suggests a mutual understanding and support network that Gen Yers desperately...

Read More..

How to Communicate with Younger Colleagues

In today's workforce, baby boomers constantly interact with younger co-workers  and managers. These younger workers have been raised in a generation of social media, with connectivity always and everywhere. Individuals constantly update their status and current events via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, texting, and other technologies. If anything new or unexpected occurs, friends are notified...

Read More..

Aging in America Conference Attendees Told Who Will 'Transform Aging'

Aging in America 2012 ConferenceThe conference is held each year to allow those interested in aging and older adults to come together to talk, learn and advocate for their various agencies, businesses and institutions, as explained in the conference introduction. Three thousand attendees were expected for the event. With 80 million Americans reaching age 65 from 2011 to 2029, all aspects of American...

Read More..

One Big Reason Not to Rush into Early Retirement

 You might want to think twice about retiring early.  That’s because, new research has shown a link between early retirement and premature death. Research by Andreas Kuhn, Jean-Philippe Wuellrich and Josef Zweimüller found that men, in particular, had an increased risk of death before age 67 when they retired early. To prove this, the researchers looked at a group of blue-collar workers...

Read More..

10 Great Opportunities for Older Volunteers

If you have time and an interest in volunteering, you can literally create your own program. Aided by Internet sites that match needs and volunteers, along with other do-it-yourself online tools, boomers are rewriting the book on how volunteering works.[See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.]AARP has kicked off a large volunteer effort through its "Create the Good" program and website. "People want...

Read More..