The largest U.S. drugstore chain, Walgreen Co., said Wednesday it will hold off selling what was poised to be the first over-the-counter genetic test, after the Food and Drug Administration said the kit has not been proven effective. Pathway Genomics announced Tuesday that its saliva swab would be on Walgreen’s shelves later this month, offering […]
Category Archives: Off Topic
`Idol Gives Back’ promises Bill Gates surprise
Simon Fuller, the entertainment magnate behind “American Idol” and its charity event airing Wednesday, is trumpeting a starry lineup that includes Elton John, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood. But he played it coy when asked about the “Idol Gives Back” role of two other prominent people. Bill and Melinda Gates, supporters of the fundraiser since […]
American Idol winner sparks smoking debate
BOGOR, Indonesia – Just a few miles after passing a towering Marlboro Man ad, a second billboard off the highway promotes cigarettes with a new American face: Kelly Clarkson. The former American Idol winner invites fans to buy tickets to her upcoming concert in Jakarta, the nation’s capital. The logo of her sponsor is splashed […]
Iceland’s Volcanic Ash Halts Flights Across Europe
Civil aviation authorities say flights won’t start departing or arriving in Britain until at least Friday morning because of a huge ash cloud spewed by an Icelandic volcano. The National Air Traffic Service said Thursday that non-emergency flights won’t be permitted in British airspace until at least 1 a.m. (0500 GMT) Friday. A statement from […]
10 Big Commercial Real Estate Busts
As acute as the pain has been in the U.S. housing market, commercial real estate has been no stranger to trouble. Here is a glimpse of some high-profile victims that have been claimed so far. 1. Stuyvesant Town & Peter Cooper Village Loan balance: $3 billion Size: N/A Location: New York, N.Y. It was the […]
Billionaires Who Live Below Their Means
At least once in your life – maybe even once a week or once a day for that matter – you have fantasized about coming into a lot of money. What would you do if you were worth millions or even billions? Believe it or not there are millionaires and billionaires among us who masquerade as relatively […]
Pay Garnishments Rise as Debtors Fall Behind
When the bank sued Leann Weaver for not paying her credit card balance, her reaction was typical for someone in that situation. Personal and financial setbacks weighed her down, and she knew she owed the $2,470. So she never went to court to defend herself. She was startled by what happened next. When she swiped […]
UN’s Ban calls Aral Sea ‘shocking disaster’
The drying up of the Aral Sea is one of the planet’s most shocking environmental disasters, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday as he urged Central Asian leaders to step up efforts to solve the problem. Once the world’s fourth-largest lake, the sea has shrunk by 90 percent since the rivers that feed it were […]