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Seven reasons why Syrian opposition hasn't toppled Assad

Physical repression isn't the only reason Syrian protesters have suffered serious setbacks. Middle East expert Bilal Y. Saab of The University of Maryland gives us seven other factors that explain why things might get worse before they get better for the Syrian opposition in its quest to topple Assad.

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Cover Story
Veterans' new fight: reviving inner-city America

How some veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are helping turn around a drug-infested neighborhood of Baltimore – and themselves.
Focus
Are terrorists beyond redemption?

The record shows that some radicals can be persuaded to give up the gun when inducements and local conditions are right. The Pentagon recently spent $4.5 million to find out more.
Egypt presidential face-off: Islamists vs. 'regime remnants'

Egypt's first free presidential election in modern times starts tomorrow, with the front-runners the Islamist Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh and Amr Moussa, a former longtime servant of ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Modern Parenthood
Teenage pregnancy: High US rates due to poverty, not promiscuity

Teenage pregnancy rates in the US have declined dramatically – 40 percent in two decades – but remain among the highest in the developed world. A new study suggests American teens don't have more sex than teens elsewhere, but that they suffer more "despair" due to poverty.
Focus
Share of working moms nearing all-time high, but has it gotten any easier?

The percentage of mothers in the workforce is nearing record highs, leading to more societal acceptance and childcare options, but mothers still face a 'mommy wage gap' and other challenges.
Researchers tinker with bird flu: Are enough safeguards in place?

A new study and one to be published soon on Asian bird flu have prompted debate about safeguards during research and how much access others should have to research details.
First BP oil spill arrest: Why put the squeeze on a mid-level engineer?

The first criminal charges brought in the 2010 BP oil spill – against Kurt Mix, a former BP engineer – show that the government still seeks the answer to an essential question in the spill’s aftermath: Did BP tell the truth about what it knew about the size of the spill? At stake are billions in fines.
Modern Parenthood
Ban homework before third grade; support children’s play

A homework ban before third grade would stop the increasing imposition on kids as young as kindergarten-age. After school free time for children's play actually Increasingly helps younger kids develop important skills, and learn to control emotions.
Was Tyrannosaurus rex actually fuzzy? (+video)

The unearthing of a fuzzy ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex in China casts doubt on the image of the king of dinosaurs as a scaly beast.
1940 Census data: what you need to know to look up relatives

Monday's release of 1940 Census data sets off frenzy to dig into records on family past, crashing the website. When it comes back online, you'll need to know a few basics.
Photos of asteroid Vesta reveal bright, ancient rock and dark, melted stone

The new photos of Vesta from NASA's Dawn spacecraft highlight odd, shiny spots that are nearly twice as bright as other parts of the asteroid — suggesting it is original material left over from the space rock's birth 4 billion years ago, NASA officials said today.
Poll finds American sympathy for Syrians, scant desire to intervene

Post-Iraq conflict fatigue appears to be replacing any 'bellicose itch' among Americans, according to a poll that finds US support for save havens in Syria if someone else sets them up.
Gun control: Will campus carry get boost from Virginia Tech ruling?

In a decision that could impact gun control nationwide, a Virginia judge on Wednesday awarded the families of two victims of the Virginia Tech massacre $8 million. Advocates of campus carry say they will use the ruling to press for more gun rights on campuses.
To strike Iran's nuclear facilities or not to strike? Why polls differ.

Two recent surveys seem to conflict over how Americans would prefer to handle the threat of a nuclear Iran.
Backchannels
If Israeli voters get their way, no attack on Iran without US help

So says a new poll.
Pearl Harbor Day 2011: three enduring mysteries

On Pearl Harbor Day, historians continue to debate the mysteries of Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attack created some of the great unanswered questions of military history.
President Obama sees popularity boost in Israel

In a new poll in Israel, Mr. Obama earns a favorable rating of 54 percent from Israeli Jews – up an impressive 13 percent compared to last year. Still, he's not as popular as former US presidents Bill Clinton or George W. Bush.
Unemployment rate may give Obama boost

Unemployment rate: Obama may benefit from the unemployment rate drop as the country heads into a presidential election year.
US to Egypt: Stick to election plan, even if it favors Islamist parties

The Obama administration is caught between two unpalatable options: backing elections that the Islamists are likely to win, or recommending a postponement and risk sounding anti-democratic.
Rick Perry jobs plan: Make rest of America more like Texas

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in an address in Pennsylvania, says the energy sector could create jobs in plenty of states where there are resources, and vows to lead charge to clear regulatory hurdles.
Why China 'trade war' bill is tying House Republicans in knots

House Republicans are blocking a vote on a bill to punish China for currency manipulation. Leaders say it could unleash a trade war, but many rank and file want to take China to task.
Kraken monster ruled ancient seas? Scientists wary of new theory.

Kraken skeptics say a new theory proposing the existence of a real-life 200-million-year-old Kraken sea monster involves too much inference and guesswork to be serious science.
Listeria outbreak: How safe is America's food chain?

Listeria-related deaths in the US from tainted cantaloupes have raised concern about America's food chain. While problems remain, there have also been improvements, experts say.
College rankings: Princeton, Harvard best colleges

College rankings from U.S. News & World Report put five Ivy League schools in Top 10 best colleges. University of Maryland-Baltimore is up-and-comer in college rankings.
Is Election 2012 the GOP's to lose? What Obama could do.

President Obama could face reelection at a time of 9 percent unemployment. But Election 2012 is not a slam dunk for the GOP, analysts say. Obama has ways to counter the bad news.