Topic: University of Michigan

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Does uncertainty cost the economy jobs? Fed researchers call it a big problem.

Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco say uncertainty over future taxes and other policies has raised unemployment by one to two percentage points. That's lots of jobs.
Cover Story How artificial intelligence is changing our lives

From smart phones that act as personal concierges to self-parking cars to medical robots, the artificial intelligence revolution is here. So where do humans fit in?
Health-care insurance: Coverage expands as law kicks in

Health-care insurance covered an extra 1.3 million Americans last year, according to new census data. US posts first improvement in health-care insurance since 2007.
NFL's first female referee: Shannon Eastin's debut game

NFL's first female referee: Shannon Eastin became the first woman to be an official in an NFL regular-season game, in the Rams-Lions game Sunday. Eastin had 16 years of football officiating experience before she became the NFL's first female referee.
In Gear Gas prices and fuel economy: What's the connection?

As gas prices rise, so too does the average fuel economy, Read writes. The average fuel economy of new cars sold in the US rose to 23.8 mpg in August as gas prices edged up to $3.82.
Paper Economy Consumer sentiment improves for August

The consumer sentiment index ticked up to 74.3 in August, with inflation expectations rising to 3.6 percent.
Stocks edge up: Apple hits record high; Facebook, record low

Stocks on the S&P 500 index are close to a four-year high while a closely watched fear index briefly touches five-year low.
Looming 'fiscal cliff' is hurting US economy now, economists warn

Memo to Washington: Don't wait until after the election to resolve the 'fiscal cliff' facing the nation on Dec. 31. Uncertainty about taxes and spending is already harming the US economy, risking a new recession, some economists say.
Oil prices hit three-month high. US eyes oil reserves.

Oil prices jump to $96 a barrel, the highest level since May, on improved prospects for the economy. Obama administration says tapping strategic oil reserve is an option.
Primary violent space weather concern for next decade: the sun

A new report emphasizes the need for research to better understand the sun, how it interacts with Earth and other bodies in the solar system, and the origins of potentially harmful space weather.
Sikh temple shooter's ex arrested. What role do women play in racist groups?

The Sikh temple gunman's former girlfriend was arrested on gun charges, but the FBI said she wasn't involved in the attack. Experts say women are increasingly involved in white hate groups.
Fossil discovery complicates Homo sapiens' family tree (+video)

A team led by renowned paleoanthropologist Meave Leakey has discovered new fossils that they say suggests that our apelike ancestors shared their habitat with other hominid species.
Mysterious black hole type perplexes, bewilders

Billions of times the mass of our own sun, so-called massive black holes present a baffling mystery with clues hidden at the very dawn of existence.
Editor's Blog After Aurora: the role of media violence

The connection between violent images and violent acts is an age-old debate. Recent research appears to show the connection is real. So what's to be done? There's an age-old antidote.
Is your vote secure? Many digital systems lack paper backups, study says.

Computerized systems in 16 states – including some swing states – have no paper backup ballots or other paper trails ‘in some or all counties,’ leaving the vote vulnerable, a national study says.
True to stereotype, Generation X apathetic about climate change

A survey of attitudes about global warming among Americans born between 1961 and 1981 shows declining interest in and knowledge of the topic.
Modern Parenthood Teens waiting to get drivers' licenses, prefer public transport

Teens are waiting longer to get their drivers' licenses, according to a new study. They prefer walkable cities and good public transportation to the hassle and cost of maintaining a car.
Cover Story Polling: a look inside the machinery of public opinion surveys

Polling: Behind the scenes at Gallup, interviewers and editors try to find out how Americans will vote on election day. With the media's dependence on public opinion statistics, news consumers must educate themselves about which surveys provide valuable data and why.
In Gear The return of the gas guzzler? Average fuel economy drops in June.

New cars had lower average fuel economy in June, three months after peaking an all-time high. The culprit? Falling gas prices.
10 quotes from John Ciardi on his birthday

John Ciardi a poet, translator, critic and etymologist. To mark his birthday on June 24, here are 10 of his most memorable quotes.
Opinion Supreme Court: After health care ruling, court must rule against affirmative action

Another blockbuster case will follow the Supreme Court ruling on the health care law known as Obamacare. Next term the court will hear Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The court should tell universities they must stop judging applicants by the color of their skin and national origin.
How Asians displaced Hispanics as biggest group of new US immigrants

The share of Asians among US immigrants has been growing for years, but the data released Tuesday show that a decline in Hispanic immigration is equally important.
Cover Story Bachelor's degree: Has it lost its edge and its value?

Undervalued and overpriced, the beleaguered bachelor's degree is losing its edge as the hallmark of an educated, readily employable American.
Michigan set to step in as Detroit nears financial collapse

With infighting paralyzing its finances, Detroit will run out of money before the end of June – likely forcing Michigan to step in 'with an outcome that neither side will find desirable,' say experts.
Harry Potter: 4 of the most famous parodies

As 'Potted Potter' arrives off-Broadway, here are 4 other well-known parodies of the boy wizard's story.