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3 views on whether the next Congress should repeal Obamacare

Repealing Obamacare is bound to come up as voters in a town-hall forum question President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the second presidential debate. Concerns about healthcare, from Medicare to the Affordable Care Act, play a key role in this election. Three writers give their brief take on whether the next Congress should repeal the Affordable Care Act.

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Social lemurs make better larcenists, scientists say

Social lemurs were found to be better thieves than their less social counterparts, in a study that could have implications for how animal intelligence in measured.
Energy Voices Light bulbs and the pitfalls of 'green' marketing

A recent study on the effect of 'green' marketing on light bulb purchases underscores the role ideology plays in energy efficiency. To sell more energy efficient products, companies should rethink eco-advertising.
As cities lay off police, frustrated neighborhoods turn to private cops

With cities cutting their police to balance budgets, some well-to-do neighborhoods are hiring private security, marking an expansion of unarmed guards beyond office parks and gated communities.
Global News Blog Good Reads: dogs with PTSD, children in the news, unwed mothers, waking up the Ice Age

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes helping dogs who come home from war zones, the dilemma behind telling Malala Yousafzai's story, why more mothers aren't choosing marriage, and a quest to bring back the wooly mammoth.
Venezuela after Hugo Chavez: why US eyes upcoming elections warily (+video)

Hugo Chavez's handpicked heir, Venezuela Vice President Nicolas Maduro, has already signaled that his election campaign will employ the harshest of rhetoric against the US.
Global News Blog Forbes 2013 billionaire list: rich get richer, women ascend

The aggregate wealth of the world's billionaires is at an all-time high, and 210 new names, including 34 women, have joined the list.
Latin America Monitor Hugo Chávez's Venezuela: What does the political and economic future hold?

Without Hugo Chávez's visible presence in Venezuela problems like declining infrastructure and economic stability are increasingly apparent.
Direct US aid to Syria's rebels: Why now – and is it too late?

The US decision to give direct aid to Syria's rebels (but still no weapons) is too little, too late – unlikely either to speed President Assad’s departure or to boost US influence over the conflict, say many experts.
Take a lesson from Apple: iTunes U tops 1B downloads

iTunes U has surpassed 1 billion downloads with more than 60 percent of the downloads from outside of the United States.
Cover Story 10 surprises about tomorrow's job market

In sharp contrast to today's tepid job growth, employment will pick up later this decade and feature some unusual twists – from the rise of sales jobs to the dearth of 'green' ones. Here's a guide to help navigate it.
Tale of 'Bob': Does outsourcing new software pose cyber security risk? (+video)

Many US companies hire foreigners to build new software for their computer networks – a practice that may raise their risk of cyberattack, some experts warn. Even firms that do not outsource software development may find an occasional employee doing it on the sly, as in the case of 'Bob.'
Opinion Lessons from Rwanda: Talking about genocide in church

From my time in Rwanda, I saw that people don't like to talk about the genocide in their recent past. Then I heard a church sermon there whose universal message of 'life after mass death' seemed perfectly fitted for a country full of one-time perpetrators and families of the murdered.
Eugene Patterson, newspaperman worth admiring and civil rights voice, dies at 89

Pulitzer Prize-wining editor and columnist, Eugene Patterson, famous for his moving argument for civil rights in the column, 'A Flower for the Graves,' passed away Saturday. Patterson was editor of the Atlanta Constitution, as well as managing editor of the Washington Post, and editor of the St. Petersburg Times.
Gun control 'dream team' is born: Can it rival NRA for political firepower?

Michael Bloomberg and Gabrielle Giffords may help to put a new face on the gun-control movement – and try to give the NRA a run for its money when it comes to influencing gun policy. But the movement has a fractious history to overcome.
'Enough': Gabrielle Giffords speaks out against guns two years after Tucson

Gabrielle Giffords and her husband have launched a lobbying group to promote 'common sense' gun control – a sign, some say, that the emotional stories of gun crime victims are resonating.
One week after Sandy Hook shooting, a simple remembrance

On Friday in Newtown, Conn., Gov. Dannel Malloy and local officials bowed their heads, and a bell tolled 26 times. The moment of silence was repeated at the White House and in 29 states.
Difference Maker Entrepreneur Joe Edwards helps make St. Louis vibrant again

By restoring buildings and activity to a historic St. Louis neighborhood Joe Edwards has become a powerful force for civic good.
Focus Want to stay on the coast? Homeowners weigh post-Sandy elevation.

As homeowners consider long-term solutions for superstorm Sandy damage, they may have to raise foundations – or move. Some flood experts say the latter may be the wiser course of action.
Why Africa's lions are rapidly disappearing

Africa's lion population has dwindled to 32,000, a nearly 70 percent decline in the past 50 years, according to a new survey by Duke University.
Energy Voices Unnatural disasters: What can be done about natural gas pipeline explosions?

The natural gas explosion in Springfield, Mass., is a calamitous reminder of what can happen when the nation's vast oil and natural gas distribution network fails.
3 views on whether the next Congress should repeal Obamacare

Repealing Obamacare is bound to come up as voters in a town-hall forum question President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the second presidential debate. Concerns about healthcare, from Medicare to the Affordable Care Act, play a key role in this election. Three writers give their brief take on whether the next Congress should repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Giant eyeball mystery solved: Experts say it belonged to swordfish (+video)

Though some had also suggested it came from a deep-sea squid, experts contacted by LiveScience lean toward a swordfish as the likely eyeball owner.
Biden-Ryan debate: why it doesn’t matter, and why it does (+video)

Vice presidential debates have no history of swinging presidential races. But after President Obama's subpar performance last week, Vice President Joe Biden faces pressure Thursday night.
Chemistry Nobel could lead to drugs with fewer side effects

The US scientists who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry were able to map how cells detect and respond to chemicals they encounter.
Will black voters give Obama what he needs in Southern swing states?

Black voters who do go to the polls are near-certain to vote for Obama. But in Virginia and North Carolina, concern is rising that the black voters who sealed the deal for Obama in 2008 will stay home.