Children can do well despite a family’s financial setbacks, says Jana Martin, a psychologist in Long Beach, Calif.
-Parents should explain what is changing and what isn’t, she suggests. “We may have to move, but you’ll get to keep your bed and your favorite things.” Keep as many family routines as possible. If something has to go, try to give options: The family makes pizza together instead of going out.
-Invite teenagers to help brainstorm ways Read the rest of this entry »

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nadya Suleman has voiced concern that the hospital where her octuplets are being cared for may prevent her from taking them home when they’re healthy enough in coming weeks. But in reality, hospitals don’t prevent healthy children from going home — child protective services do.
And that’s only if a complaint has been filed. Hospital employees are mandated to report to county authorities any concerns they have about Read the rest of this entry »

Mexican authorities on the weekend said that there was no sign ”so far” that a high-ranking police officer under investigation had leaked information from Interpol’s database to a Mexican drugs cartel.
Fears grew last week that sensitive information on criminal gangs held on the international police organisation’s computers had been tapped following the arrest of Ricardo Gutiérrez Vargas, who headed Interpol in Mexico.
Mr Gutiérrez Vargas Read the rest of this entry »

DENVER (AP) — In this economy, lawmakers are more willing to let people smoke ‘em if they got ‘em.
As recently as last year, many states and major cities seemed ready to adopt complete indoor smoking bans. But the movement to kick all smokers outdoors has stalled as the recession worsens and lawmakers fear hurting business at bars, restaurants and casinos.
“This economy, it creates a little more sympathy for the business person. So when Read the rest of this entry »

Officials in the US state of Nebraska have received 18 ‘unwanted’ youths since July, including a 13-year-old boy whose mother drove for 12 hours from Michigan to take advantage of a ’safe-haven’ law preventing prosecution for abandonment.
The rule, designed to prevent the deaths of unwanted babies by allowing mothers to hand them into hospitals, has been enacted in other states including Texas but Nebraska offers to protect children as old as 19.
Read the rest of this entry »

Shares in Ambac plunged further yesterday amid renewed concerns about the bond insurer’s financial health.
Ambac’s $3.2bn cash shortfall in its financial products arm following cuts in its credit ratings by Moody’s Investors Service, which triggered collateral payments, was expected to be met by a transfer of funds from its insurance operations.
Ambac’s main regulator, Wisconsin insurance commissioner Sean Dilweg, told the Financial Times he had Read the rest of this entry »

11:15 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
AUSTIN – Hurricane Ike’s timing – just a week before the opening of Galveston’s massive national biodefense lab – is raising new questions about the prudence of housing deadly pathogens on a disaster-prone island.
Biosafety experts at the University of Texas Medical Branch say the $175 million Galveston National Lab and their other high-security research Read the rest of this entry »

The election of Barack Obama as president presents small businesses with an opportunity for health care reform but an imminent threat on labor issues.
That was the morning-after assessment of small business groups in D.C., which congratulated the Democratic candidate on his election victory and pledged to work with him to restore the economy’s health.
, for example, mostly supported Republicans in congressional races but still hopes to advance Read the rest of this entry »

She has cancer risk, fears diet rich in soy
Q.
I’m wondering if it’s dangerous for me to eat a lot of soy-based foods, since I’m at a higher-than-average risk for breast cancer (my grandmother died of the disease and my sister was recently diagnosed with it). I’m a vegetarian, and like to get my protein from soy. — Jeanie
A.
Considering that protein-packed soybeans also contain a hefty helping of compounds that act like weak estrogens Read the rest of this entry »

Robert Karlsson has dismissed reports he has been suffering with a neck injury ahead of next week’s Ryder Cup match.
The Swede has not played competitively for three weeks sparking speculation that he was struggling for full fitness.
However, the 38-year-old, put the rumours to bed in some style at the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne as he shot a sparkling 67 to sit just one shot behind the overnight leaders.
Speaking Read the rest of this entry »