Americans

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Utah, Hawaii Happiest States; W. Va. Not So Much: Poll

Happiness poll links bliss to wealth

(Newser) - Money can't buy happiness? Tell that to 350,000 Americans surveyed in a Gallup study. The jolliest congressional districts were also among the wealthiest, the gloomiest among the poorest. Researchers also attributed contentment to factors like outdoor recreation and a young population, the AP reports. Utah, Hawaii, and Wisconsin ranked...

Manners Killed Titanic's Brits as Yanks Fled: Study

British were more likely to line up for lifeboats, researcher contends

(Newser) - British passengers aboard the Titanic were most likely to die because their sense of propriety inclined them to line up for lifeboats while Americans elbowed past to save themselves, claims an Australian researcher who is studying how people react in life-threatening disasters. Americans were 8.5% more likely than other...

Inauguration Becomes De Facto Holiday

Experts say celebrations will boost worker morale

(Newser) - Employers nationwide are bracing for a new slowdown, but they're excited about this one, reports USA Today. Thousands of workers nationwide are expected to take the day off tomorrow to watch the inauguration—or watch with co-workers in office parties. Companies are wise to grant the time off, since the...

Obama's Crew Abounds With Expats

Experiences abroad make for good policies at home, advisers say

(Newser) - If you’re seeking a job in the Obama administration, you may want to get out more—way out, Newsweek reports. Like the president-elect, many of his advisers have lived in other countries. Top aide Valerie Jarrett was born in Iran and has traveled widely, mixing with Europeans, Arabs, and...

Jet Forced Down in Iran Was Private

Military denies Iranian reports that military aircraft deplaned

(Newser) - The US military says it was a business, not military, jet that was forced down after violating Iran's airspace a week ago, denying Iranian reports that any Americans were aboard, CNN reports. An Iranian news agency caused international worry when it reported that the aircraft had five American military officials...

US Tourists Shed 'Archie Bunker' Rep

French, Chinese, Indians now world's most ill-bred travelers

(Newser) - The pushy American traveler has met his match in the snooty, uncompromising Frenchman. The voyageur français ranks as one of the world’s most tactless tourists, bested only by Chinese and Indian travelers. Judging by their politeness, openness to foreign languages, and adversity to complaining, Japanese tourists were rated...

Afghan Gunmen Kidnap Female US Aid Worker

Woman, 49, was wearing burqa when stopped near Kandahar

(Newser) - An American woman has been kidnapped in Afghanistan along with her driver, the AP reports. The woman, 49, worked for an aid organization and was wearing a burqa when she was stopped near the southern city of Kandahar. Police are searching for the kidnappers, whom a local governor called “...

Porno Biz Unfazed by Neocons
Porno Biz Unfazed by Neocons
Sep 19, 2007 7:28 PM CDT

Porno Biz Unfazed by Neocons

FBI focuses on extreme forms of porn, leaves $13B industry intact

(Newser) - Bush's vow to clamp down on porn has hardly dented the $13 billion industry, Reuters reports. Activists grumble that Bush hasn't followed in Reagan's footsteps and put distributors out of business - but pressing problems, like terrorism, have distracted the White House, and the FBI is prosecuting more extreme forms...

Americans Neglect to Wash Their Hands

Only 77% soap up in public restrooms; Ewwwwww, say experts

(Newser) - Americans are forgetting to wash their hands. A new study shows that only 77% of people wash their hands after using public restrooms—that's down 6% from two years ago. And notably, 92% of Americans SAY they do. Unsurprisingly, men are the big offenders: their number was 66%. "Very...

Big Americans Bust Weight Limits on Cars

Drivers, passengers are often too heavy for tires, say manufacturer safety labels

(Newser) - Americans who supersize their meals may be putting an unsafe burden on their car tires, exceeding weight limits they're rated to carry. Many two-seat sports cars, for instance, can't safely accommodate two 200-pound passengers, USA Today reports. Family cars and minivans also frequently max out when carrying a load of...

America, as Defined by Wal-Mart
America,
as Defined
by Wal-Mart
Sep 13, 2007 4:29 PM CDT

America, as Defined by Wal-Mart

With firm grasp on US consumers, snapshot of giant's sales is a self-portrait

(Newser) - Wal-Mart knows a lot about Americans, courtesy of the 208 million US consumers who shop there every year. ABC News takes a look at the superstore's sales figures and finds a portrait of the nation's changing face and taste. Some highlights: Boxers are tied with briefs; Ohio buys the most...

American Kids' Blood Pressure Creeps Up

Obesity epidemic fallout foreshadows serious health troubles

(Newser) - The ranks of US children with dangerously high blood pressure and hypertension have been growing for 20 years, reversing a decades-long trend, says a new study that tracks the effects of youth obesity. Hypertension, which usually doesn't develop until patients are in their 30s or 40s, is a leading cause...

The Filthy Rich Take Over the Small Screen

America's middle class ousted from sitcoms, relegated to reality TV

(Newser) - Sitcoms, once a window into middle-class America, have been invaded by the uberrich. But the bourgeoisie hasn't disappeared from the small screen entirely: They're fighting each other on reality shows for big bucks or their 15 minutes of fame. And, Salon's Heather Havrilesky notes, it's not a healthy trend.

More US Kids, Young Adults Commiting Suicide

Rate rises most sharply among teen girls

(Newser) - Suicide rates among America's children and young adults surged by 8% between 2003 and 2004, the most significant increase over the past 15 years, a new Centers for Disease Control report shows. The hike coincides with a 22% decrease in antidepressant use, but it could be related to changes in...

We're Still Getting Fatter
We're Still Getting Fatter
Aug 27, 2007 6:07 PM CDT

We're Still Getting Fatter

Obesity epidemic continues to spread

(Newser) - Americans just keep getting fatter. Obesity rates were up in 31 states this year and declined in none, a new study by a health advocacy group finds. That brings the percentage of American adults who are either obese or overweight to 60%, Reuters reports, and the usual suspects are to...

Americans Double Use of Pain Meds
Americans Double Use
of Pain Meds
Aug 20, 2007 9:40 AM CDT

Americans Double Use of Pain Meds

Led by Oxycodone, sales of painkillers soared 90% in 8 years

(Newser) - Retail sales of five major painkillers rose a whopping 90% from 1997 to 2005, a new AP analysis of DEA statistics shows. The increase is driven by Oxycodone, the chemical used in OxyContin, which has seen sales increase nearly 600%. Causes include an aging population, huge new drug marketing campaigns,...

Boy Scouts Reach Out to Latinos
Boy Scouts
Reach Out to Latinos
Aug 13, 2007 12:03 PM CDT

Boy Scouts Reach Out to Latinos

Soccer, Spanish lighting the spark for a new class of scouts

(Newser) - With enrollment down almost 10% in the last 10 years, the Boy Scouts are reaching out to Latinos to fill their ranks. Handbooks, advertisements and bumper stickers are now available in Spanish, and the “be prepared” group has even had permission from ministers to recruit in Hispanic churches, the...

Why Small Government Has Collapsed
Why Small Government
Has Collapsed
Aug 8, 2007 6:08 PM CDT

Why Small Government Has Collapsed

Prospect writer says Dems can drown movement in bathtub

(Newser) - Democrats have never been so well positioned to sell big-government liberalism—as the other side looks pathetically out of step with Americans’ desires to expand health care and bolster infrastructure, says the American Prospect’s Paul Waldman. After the Minnesota bridge collapse, the public is ready for the party that...

Climate Change Deniers Still Impeding Progress

Americans lost in haze of contradictory information

(Newser) - Scientists thought they'd convinced the world it was getting warmer, but a powerful, flush campaign of cynics is still successfully sowing doubt, Newsweek reports—and hobbling efforts to stave off disaster. From its humble beginnings ridiculing any warming, the "denial machine" has picked up funding from big oil and...

Rent-a-Yanks Push Goodwill Abroad
Rent-a-Yanks Push Goodwill Abroad
Jul 27, 2007 10:03 AM CDT

Rent-a-Yanks Push Goodwill Abroad

German schools book young US speakers to combat anti-Americanism

(Newser) - American exchange students in Germany are so bombarded with broadsides against the US government and lifestyle that one university has started a program called "Rent an American." Yanks visit German schools to answer questions about the Bush administration, climate change, and the death penalty, all in an effort...

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