Scott Neuman

Study: 'Fossil' Words Are Older Than We Thought

Scott Neuman — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:06:00 +0000

The origin of some of the words we use today go back much further than scientists once thought, suggesting an Ice Age-era proto-language that spawned many of the world's contemporary linguistic groups, according to a new study by a group of U.K.-based scientists.

The study, published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used a statistical model to conclude that so-called "ultraconserved" words have been around for perhap

Pakistani Politician Imran Khan Falls From Lift During Campaign

Scott Neuman — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Pakistani cricketer turned politician Imran Khan is said to be OK after he fell from a lift during a campaign rally in Lahore on Tuesday.

Al-Jazeera reports that Khan "fell 14 feet as he was stepping off an improvised forklift that was raising him to the top of the platform."

Khan, who heads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party, was shown bleeding from the head after the fall.

A local PTI spokesman told Agence France-Presse that Khan had suffered head injuries, but another spokesman described the inju

Obama Says U.S. And South Korea Stand Firm Against Pyongyang

Scott Neuman — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:10:00 +0000

President Obama says the United States and South Korea are determined to stand firm against North Korean threats and that the days of Pyongyang manufacturing a crisis to get international concessions "are over."

In a joint news conference with South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday, Obama said the two leaders "very much share the view that we are going to maintain a strong deterrent" against North Korea.

"We're not going to reward provocative behavior, but we remain open to the prospect of North Korea taking a peaceful path," he said.

"So far, at least, we haven't seen actions o

Feds Say Debt Settlement Firm Defrauded 'Financially Desperate'

Scott Neuman — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:39:00 +0000

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal oversight agency established by Dodd-Frank three years ago, has filed its first criminal action against a debt-settlement company it says defrauded thousands of people.

According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Mission Settlement Agency, its manager and three employees have been charged with mail and wire fraud.

Singer Lauryn Hill Sentenced To Three Months For Tax Evasion

Scott Neuman — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:35:00 +0000

Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill will spend three months in jail for failing to pay income tax on about $1.8 million in earnings.

Hill, 37, pleaded guilty last year to three counts of tax evasion.

FBI Says It Prevented Terrorist Attack In Rural Minnesota

Scott Neuman — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

The FBI says Monday it foiled a terrorist attack in a small Minnesota town, but officials offered few details.

Buford Rogers, 24, made his first appearance Monday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, The Associated Press reports.

Pentagon: China's Government Hacked U.S. Networks

Scott Neuman — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:26:00 +0000

The Pentagon has for the first time fingered Beijing directly for cyberattacks against both U.S. government networks and commercial computers, calling the practice a "serious concern."

The new report says numerous U.S.

Death Toll In Bangladesh Factory Collapse Surpasses 650

Scott Neuman — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:18:00 +0000

The grim toll from the collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh last month has risen to more than 650, as more bodies have been pulled from the rubble of the eight-story complex.

The number of people confirmed dead has now reached 657, CNN quoted Col.

NASA: Warming Climate Likely Means More Floods, Droughts

Scott Neuman — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:28:00 +0000

The Earth's wettest regions are likely to get wetter while the most arid will get drier due to warming of the atmosphere caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, according to a new NASA analysis of more than a dozen climate models.

Scientists ran simulations of 14 different models, starting with CO2 concentrations at about 280 parts per million, which is similar to preindustrial levels but well below the 400 parts per million today.

Iowa Court: List Both Same-Sex Parents On Birth Certificates

Scott Neuman — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Iowa's Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the state's health department must include the names of both same-sex spouses as parents on a child's birth certificate.

The ruling stems from a challenge brought by Heather and Melissa Gartner of Des Moines, following the Iowa Department of Public Health's refusal in 2009 to list Heather as a p