News

Chavez celebrates a new oil refinery with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in 2007. Nicaragua repays Venezuela for its oil with sugar, coffee and other goods.

World News

Venezuelan Oil Subsidies Still Buoy Neighbors, For Now

2:06pm March 09, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Late President Hugo Chavez helped out ideological peers in Latin America, as well as key U.S. allies in the Caribbean. But with Venezuela's own financial challenges and an upcoming presidential election, many of those countries are worried their vital oil lifeline is about to be shut off.

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Scientists say they have put together a record of global temperatures dating back to the end of the last ice age, about 11,000 years ago. This historical artwork of the last ice age was made by Swiss geologist and naturalist Oswald Heer.

Past Century's Global Temperature Change Is Fastest On Record

10:40pm March 08, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

In the past 100 years, average temperatures on Earth have changed by 1.3 degrees. Previously, that large of a swing took 5,000 years. That's the word from researchers who pored over temperature data going back to the end of the last ice age.

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The diverse neighborhood of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, has experienced a dramatic drop in crime over the past two decades.

National

Does Crime Drop When Immigrants Move In?

6:03pm March 08, 2013

by Joel Rose

Many elected officials say there's a link between immigration and crime, and have even passed tough anti-immigration laws as a result. But some researchers say cities with large immigrant populations boast conditions that depress crime: young families and active, bustling neighborhoods.

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Economy

The Life Cycle Of A Social Network: Keeping Friends In Times Of Change

12:32pm March 08, 2013

by Steve Henn

Facebook has unveiled a redesign of its News Feed, but any social network knows that drastic changes come with risks. Just look at Friendster, a site that fizzled after changes to the interface and a subsequent exodus made it less valuable to users.

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Sales Are Like Drugs. What Happens When A Store Wants Customers To Quit?

12:27pm March 08, 2013

by Zoe Chace

J.C. Penney's new CEO came in with a bold strategy: No more sales or coupons. It didn't work.

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If A Driverless Car Crashes, Who's Liable?

12:25pm March 08, 2013

by Cory Turner

Technology isn't the only hurdle for computer-driven cars.

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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has not had a permanent administrator since Congress required that the director be confirmed by the Senate in 2006.

Politics & Government

Senate Mostly Blamed For Agency And Court Vacancies, But Obama Isn't Helping

11:50am March 08, 2013

by Brian Naylor

Lack of a director can leave a federal agency treading water on policy and personnel issues, and several major agencies have been leaderless for years. The Senate also needs to act before federal judgeships can be filled, and some 10 percent of those jobs are vacant.

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A man identified as Sulaiman Abu Ghaith appears in this still image taken from an undated video address. A son-in-law of Osama bin Laden who served as al Qaeda's spokesman, Abu Gaith was detained in Jordan and sent to the United States.

Bin Laden's Son-In-Law Arrested, Brought To U.S.

11:22am March 08, 2013

by Dina Temple-Raston

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith may be best known for his appearance in videos. He was sitting next to bin Laden when the al-Qaida leader took credit for the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Ghaith may appear in a Manhattan court on Friday.

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Genetically modified to be enriched with beta-carotene, golden rice grains (left) are a deep yellow. At right, white rice grains.

In A Grain Of Golden Rice, A World Of Controversy Over GMO Foods

10:44am March 08, 2013

by Dan Charles

A rice enriched with beta-carotene promises to boost the health of poor children around the world. But critics say golden rice is also a clever PR move for a biotech industry driven by profits, not humanitarianism.

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Economy

As Construction Picks Up, American Truck Makers Race

7:34pm March 07, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 31 years. Amid rumors of a new version of the Ford truck, GM is readying pickup launches of its own as signs of a housing industry comeback signal increased demand for the heavy-duty vehicles.

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