Health
Iraqi prime minister to visit Germany, meet Merkel
A German official says Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will visit Berlin next week and meet Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Purdue panel finds misconduct by fusion scientist
A Purdue University panel has found two instances of misconduct by a researcher who claims he produced nuclear fusion in tabletop experiments.
Food safety worries change buying habits
Troubled by the tainted tomato scare, nearly half of Americans are concerned they may get sick from eating contaminated food and are avoiding items they normally would buy, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll has found.
Record number of babies born last year
More babies were born in the United States last year than ever before, according to preliminary data, but it's not another baby boom just yet.
Alzheimer's vaccine stopped plaque, not dementia
Some doctors have long suspected that if the plaque that builds up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease could be removed, they could be saved. But a new vaccine that did just that suggests the theory is wrong.
Family sues co. for muscular dystrophy drug
A Minnesota family is trying to force a New Jersey drug company to give their son an experimental drug for a fatal form of muscular dystrophy, saying he'll die without it.
Plans for large-scale AIDS vaccine trial dropped
Plans for a large-scale trial of a potential AIDS vaccine are being dropped in favor of a smaller, more focused study, the National Institutes of Health said Thursday.
Warming health report: Poor, elderly to hurt most
Global warming will affect the health and welfare of every American, but the poor, elderly, and children will suffer the most, according to a new White House science report released Thursday.
Should we move species to save them?
With climate change increasingly threatening the survival of plants and animals, scientists say it may become necessary to move some species to save them. Dubbed assisted colonization or assisted migration, the idea is to decide how severe the threat is to various species, and if they need help to deal with it.
Researchers report toadfish sing to attract mates
It's not exactly Tony serenading Maria in "West Side Story," but for all their homeliness toadfish also sing to attract mates. OK, singing may be a stretch; it's more of a hum. But it turns out to be useful, for science as well as the fish.
Smithsonian dishes the dirt on, well, dirt
Dishing the dirt has a long history in Washington, but the Smithsonian Institution is taking it to new depths. The National Museum of Natural History opens a new exhibit on Saturday - "Dig It" - exploring the mysterious and complex world of soil.
Mississippi remains most obese state, CDC reports
The South tips the scales again as the nation's fattest region, according to a new government survey.
Polio resurfaces in region of Pakistan
An eight-month-old Pakistani girl has tested positive for polio in an area where militants campaigned against vaccination, a World Health Organization official said Thursday.
Report: Invest $10 a person for better health
Investing just $10 per person - roughly the price of a six-pack of beer and some chips - could greatly fuel community programs that get couch potatoes moving, prevent smoking and improve nutrition, researchers say.
Donor kidneys removed with single bellybutton cut
Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it.
Bill Clinton aims to stabilize malaria drug prices
Former President Clinton's foundation has signed pricing agreements with several suppliers involved in making a malaria-fighting drug in an effort to stabilize the medication's fluctuating costs and ensure more dependable availability.
Gore: Carbon-free electricity in 10 years doable
Former Vice President Al Gore called Thursday for a "man on the moon" effort to switch all of the nation's electricity production to wind, solar and other carbon-free sources within 10 years, a goal that he said would solve global warming as well as economic and natural security crises caused by dependence on fossil fuels.
Scientists: $200M loss from Great Lakes invasives
Foreign species that slipped into the Great Lakes in ballast tanks of oceangoing cargo ships cost the regional economy at least $200 million a year, according to a University of Notre Dame study released Wednesday.
NASA moon capsule running late, full of problems
Money problems will likely force NASA to abandon its ambitious internal goal of having a new moon spaceship ready by 2013, a top space agency official told The Associated Press Wednesday.
Growers want FDA to clear Fla.'s whole tomato crop
Florida tomato growers have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to declare there is no salmonella in the state's tomato crops.