National News

The museum has a pay what you can policy, but the lawsuit alleges that patrons are mislead into believing that admission is $25.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio has both opposed liberation theology as well as criticized capitalism. And while Pope Francis' positions are in line with his predecessors on economic matter, his Latin American background may lead to an emphasis on those issues.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Neonicotinoids are pesticides widely used to coat the seeds of agricultural plants, especially corn. But some evidence suggests these chemicals may also be poisoning bees. A tell-tale clue: reports of massive bee die-offs that all took place during corn-planting season.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Google's yet-to-be-released wearable computer sounds amazing, like something out of science fiction. But not everyone is in awe, and some groups, and even one lawmaker, say the technology raises concerns that need to be addressed.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The court is expected to issue an opinion on a separate affirmative action case, soon. But the Michigan case is bound to have broader implications.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Henna tattoos have become a popular beach souvenir and tween fashion accessory. But some are made not with the henna plant, but with a chemical that can cause a painful allergic reaction, the Food and Drug Administration warns.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Move over, tuna fish, shrimp and clam chowder. Alligator is here for your Friday Lenten meals, thanks to confirmation from the archbishop of New Orleans that it is, in fact, a seafood.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

China state media say Beijing will purchase four submarines and 24 advanced fighter jets from Russia.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

In 1997, DeGeneres chose a very public forum — her television sitcom — to announce, "I'm gay." The entertainer's career has tracked the seismic shift in public opinion on gays and same-sex marriage.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The attack on the Syrian capital appeared to be one of, if not the most intense to date. The United Nations says it's moving part of its staff in Damascus for security reasons.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

In a Yale Daily News editorial, Will Portman explains how he came out to his parents and how Sen. Rob Portman's views on gay marriage evolved

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Owning a pet is a commitment not unlike marriage. You're with each other for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. And just like with humans, the sickness part is incredibly tough to go through. It's also incredibly expensive. People facing end-of-life care will, naturally, do anything and spend almost any amount of money to save and extend their lives. When it comes to pets, lots of families will do the same. And the decisions can be heart-wrenching.

I visited my vet just a couple of weeks ago with my 3-year-old black lab, Ronan. He's allergic to something, probably our grass, and gets this nasty skin condition. So Dr. Woody Walker of the La Canada Pet Clinic took a look. By the time I left, we'd done a blood test, an office exam, gotten two prescriptions and a special shampoo -- plus a prescription refill for my cat's thyroid condition.

"It's gonna be $492.76," said Walker.

I told Ronan he needed to get a job. But this is what happens when you have a pet. It's expensive. In fact here in the U.S. we spend -- collectively -- $53 billion a year on our pets for everything from medicines and operations to food and toys. In our house, we're lucky than none of our four animals has a terminal illness. Because if and when that happens, I don't know what we'll do. We've tried to set a number for what we're willing to spend to save or extend any of their lives, but that conversation never resolves itself. And Dr. Walker says those decisions have gotten much more difficult with advances in medical care for pets.

"The technology is amazing. Whatever we can do in people, we can do in pets," said Walker.

What that means for pet owners -- is more tough decisions.

 That's where Tom and Jeanne Herrman from Burbank, Calif., come in. Last July, they rescued Bentley, one of two Golden Retrievers. Bentley, 11, has a fast-growing tumor in his left front leg, though you'd never know from his enthusiastic greeting.

"Bentley's gonna be hard cause he's just a quick love and I think he's got 4-12 weeks," said Jeanne.

Bentley was diagnosed in December and the Herrmans didn't have many options.

"It was just the amputation and oncology. And for right now just keeping the pain away and the inflammation," said Jeanne.

The veterinarian explained to the Herrmans about the costs if they went the other way -- $6,000-8,000. The other way being amputation and chemotherapy, which they decided against. Not purely for cost reasons, but because Bentley's life wouldn't be the same and there was no guarantee he would survive long past the surgery.

"It's very easy when a dog becomes a family member you look at all those decisions a little differently. We've been through it with both of our parents, we had to make the quality of life decision," said Jeanne. "They're not easy, but you'd rather make it than have them suffer a lot."

For John Noel, the decision was fairly easy to spend more than $10,000 for a kidney transplant for his 13-year-old cat, Pumpkin. He proudly shows Pumpkin off in a photo.

"This is Mr. Pumpkin. And this was taken six or seven months post-transplant. And then we have a picture of Hopi, who's the donor," he said.

Noel is a deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County, a public servant who doesn't boast a large paycheck.

"I work hard for my money and don't have a lot of it. But you know there are priorities in life," he said.

He found Pumpkin wandering the streets as a 5-week-old kitten. And like most pet owners, described him as part of the family. Money simply wasn't a factor in his decision.

"When you have that kind of love in your heart for another creature, be it an animal or a human, I don't think anybody who has that love or that feeling would ever think otherwise," said Noel.

And Pumpkin triumphed over long odds -- living another four years post-transplant.

Dean Philip Nelson of the College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, Calif., says societal pressure plays a role in many pet owners' decisions about end-of-life care. The agonizing questions around human end-of-life medical intervention have now made their way down to the pet kingdom and owners often feel guilty if they don't do everything possible, no matter the cost, to save or extend their animals' lives.

"I think it's harder not just because of the technological answers, but I think our own ethos have evolved. And not necessarily in a good way," said Nelson. "I believe that -- and this is a personal belief -- that many of us are loathe to have to face the end-of-life issues. And some of us have been mesmerized by the advances of medicine."

Of course not everyone can afford to even contemplate expensive treatment. Alana Yanez of Highland Park, Calif., sees that situation firsthand in her work with the U.S. Humane Society's Pets for Life program, which provides veterinary services in low-income neighborhoods. She's counseled pet owners going through decisions about how to care for their animals. And last October she faced the situation herself when her 11-year-old Labrador Retriever, Max, started limping. Her vet said it was cancer.

"And chemo, what he told us was, minimum $10,000. And it would have been a really long and hard process," she said. "You know when we're in this situation, excuse me, when we're in this situation you get so caught up in the emotion that at one point I just stopped and I said tell me what to do."

The vet told her Max was in pain and that unless she had $40,000 laying around for the surgery and after-care, "He goes, 'I would put him down.' So we decided to do that. I still sometimes struggle with whether or not we made the right decision. Because you know putting $10,000 on a credit card, I could afford it. And I think would that have been worth it if it extended his life another 5-6 months?"

In the end, she says she's confident they made the right decision and now she comforts herself with 2-year-old shelter dog, Dottie.

If I thought this story would help me figure out how to plan for the inevitable with our pets... Well, it didn't. These are deeply personal decisions -- sometimes dictated by cost, more often dictated by that thing that happens every time a cat curls up on your lap or a dog rests his chin on your knee. And there's no right or wrong in that.

Nestled next to the Mississippi, right across the river from Illinois, and smack-dab in the center of middle America, St. Louis and its residents can be difficult to define. But when we asked folks to finish the sentence: you know you're wealthy when ..., we saw the character of St. Louis start to take shape in their answers.

Time is money:

Amanda Doyle says, "You know you're wealthy when your time is worth more to you than the money you'd have to trade for it."

You're so jaded:

Stan Chisholm says, "You know you're wealthy when you don't even know how much you have."

Paid your dues:

Maddy Earnest, meanwhile, says, "You know you're wealthy when you can pay your staff, yourself and your vendors every week."

No one's burst your bubble:

"You know you're wealthy when you have a static and impenetrable sense of financial security; in the midst of worldwide financial apocalypse, you can still buy whatever you want..." says Lola Fayanju, with son in arms.

You do what you want:

Jason McClelland tells us, "You know you're wealthy when you can do what you want to do."

Love is all around you:

And Don Silvey and Dave O'Brien agree, "You know you're wealthy when the one you love is also your best friend."

You're a picture of good health:

Jason Keune thinks, "You know you're wealthy when you have access to appropriate nutrition every day of your life.

You're right on the money:

But Brian Marston believes, "You know you're wealthy when your money works for you, instead of the other way around."

You've got the bare necessities:

Ian MacMullen, on the other hand, explains, "You know you're wealthy when your necessities are other people's luxuries." 

This one's on you:

And Steve Smith says, "You know you're wealthy when you don't mind picking up a bar tab for your friends." 

Check out other photos from around the globe in the interactive map above. And see more from our series to find out what Washington, D.C. residents had to say about wealth in the nation's capital and to hear from Southern Californians we encountered along the boardwalk in Venice Beach.

And let us know how you would answer that question on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter -- use the hashtag #YouAreWealthyWhen.

Condoms have evolved little since latex ones were first manufactured in the 1920s. Bill Gates is hoping to change that. His foundation is giving $100,000 to anyone who can come up with a condom that men or women actually want to wear.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Over the last few years, proponents of same-sex marriage have seen their fundraising campaigns outpace their opponents significantly. As the Supreme Court hears arguments today about the Defense of Marriage Act, political action committees backed by some of the wealthiest Americans are preparing to unleash huge sums of money on Republican candidates in 2014. But only if they are willing to support gay marriage.

Robert Postic, a professor of political science at the University of Findlay and an Evangelical Christian, thinks the shift in public opinion on same-sex marriage is not the result of profound reflection but simply that more people know someone who is gay.

"And they are realizing, wait a second, these people who are gay or lesbian are just like me. Why have I been against that all along?" says Postic.
 
One recent poll suggested that two thirds of Americans, whether they support or oppose gay marriage, see it as inevitable.

"Even the most ardent opponent of marriage equality kind of looks at their pocketbook and wonders, why should I  contribute to something, even if I'm opposed, that is going to happen," says Fred Sainz, vice president of the pro-gay marriage organization Human Rights Campaign.

Republican hedge fund manager Paul Singer has spent millions in support of gay marriage. His own PAC, American Unity, is prepared to donate even more to Republicans who are willing to support it.

In the four states that voted on marriage equality in November, supporters raised $30 million. Opponents raised $10 million.

With a case examining the use of race in the University of Texas admissions process still undecided, the court surprised observers by accepting yet another affirmative action case for next term. This one, from Michigan, tests whether voters, by referendum, can bar race-conscious admissions programs in higher education.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Woods' personal life and professional life crumbled in 2010. Now, he seems to have mended both. This is the first time Woods is No. 1 since Oct. 30, 2010.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The Z10 was supposed to be BlackBerry's salvation, but early reports show the launch didn't go so well.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

It wasn't written in stone, but odds were pretty high some kind of deal on Cyprus was going to get worked out this weekend. And lo and behold, it did. One big bank will be shut down. Big depositors will take in on the chin. And, economic life in Cyprus will likely get worse before it gets better.  

Faisal Islam is the economics editor for the U.K.'s Channel 4. We reached him in the capital, Nicosia. After 13 years covering European economies, Islam says he's stunned at the turn in the Cypriot economy over the past eight days.

"Never in my life would I ever have expected to witness the types of things we're seeing in a kind of Western European economy," Islam says. "You're talking a return to a cash economy, but without any cash."

Cyprus clamped down on how much cash could be withdrawn. As of today, it was down to 100 euros, which made most spending impossible.

"What we had over the past week was a heart attack to the economy," Islam says. 

Cypriots are angry and bewildered. And while the measures discussed in the bailout deal -- spending cuts and tax hikes -- address some underlying problems that led to the crisis, they don't take into account the economic shock of the past week.

"All the equations that the IMF and the EU calculated the bailout on seem to be calculated on numbers that are completely irrelevant now," according to Islam.

The Islamist group Gamaa al-Islamiya recently agreed to handle security during a strike by police in the city of Assiut; the police returned to work the next day. But the group says it will continue to provide services such as trash pickup, reflecting the larger problem of a deteriorating Egyptian government.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us