Story of the Day

Mothers with the "sensitive" version of a gene became more likely to strike or scream at their children during the Great Recession, researchers say. But as a complete economic collapse became less likely, the moms relaxed. Those with the "insensitive" version didn't change their behavior.

The news that billionaire Jeff Bezos has purchased The Washington Post came shortly after Red Sox owner John Henry agreed to buy The Boston Globe. That's left many scratching their heads as to why a successful businessperson would take on a paper when revenues are plummeting.

Russia has become a relations nightmare for the United States, and its offer of temporary asylum to the NSA leaker and fugitive is only the tip of the iceberg.

Summer nights — for a small few in the South — are a time for wading through yucky ponds with a flashlight in one hand and a frog gig in the other. It's a good way to pass the time, hang out with friends, and find some yummy frog legs for a cookout later in the summer.

Georgia, like many other states, protects the identity of companies that make drugs used in executions. The lawyer of a death row inmate says not being able to verify the effectiveness of the drug violates his client's right "to be free from cruel and unusual punishment."

The drug war was in full swing in the '80s, and cocaine was practically everywhere. But use of the drug has fallen by almost half since 2006, and production is also down significantly. How did the U.S. kick the habit? Experts say cocaine has lost its luster — oh and policy may have made a difference, too.

The domestic auto industry has been making a strong comeback, but that recovery hasn't necessarily benefited beleaguered Detroit. There's only one auto plant still doing high-volume production inside the city limits, and much of the Big Three's manufacturing has shifted away from Michigan.

Biologists have discovered they can track hard-to-see species in streams, ponds and even the ocean by sampling the water for DNA. Scientists say the technique is an important conservation tool: So far, it's been used to track declining giant salamanders and even locate a rare whale.

Warren Buffett's son, Howard, is using his foundation, stocked with $2 billion of his father's money, to address hunger in the U.S., as well as globally. He's trying to use his farming experience to help farmers be more productive and to get more food into the hands of those who need it most.

States are setting an abortion limit at 20 weeks after fertilization, but that may clash with established standards for calculating the viability of a pregnancy. It could also open the new laws up to constitutional challenges.