Mississippi tops the nation for highest teen birth rate

By Calvin Palmer
Mississippi now has the highest teen birth rate in the United States, according to new statistics released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Mississippi’s rate was more than 60 percent higher than the national average in 2006.
The lowest teen birth rates continue to be in New England, where three states have [...]

Search for baby’s body moves to Kentucky landfill

By Calvin Palmer
The search for a baby’s body thrown out with a hospital’s trash has moved from garbage dumps in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to a landfill site in Kentucky.
Police have been searching for the body of Bashere Davon Moyd Jr. since January 2 when it was discovered missing from the morgue at Christ Hospital, [...]

‘Joe’ plumbs new depths of absurdity

By Calvin Palmer
“Joe the Plumber,” who rose to prominence during the presidential campaign, is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for the conservative Web site pjtv.com.
War correspondent?  That is about as believable as Sarah Palin as the Vice President of the United States.
“Joe,” real name Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, says he will spend ten days covering [...]

Russia agrees to resume gas supplies

By Calvin Palmer
Russia has said that it will resume gas deliveries to Europe once EU monitors are in place on the Russian-Ukrainian border to check supplies.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, made the announcement after the European Commission called on Russian and Ukrainian leaders to imediately resume gas supplies [...]

Waterford Wedgwood attracts ten potential buyers

By Calvin Palmer
Hopes are rising that Waterford Wedgwood could be saved. At least ten parties are interested in buying the china and crystal group, according to administrators Deloitte.
One of the potential buyers is believed to be a U.S. private equity group, including the party that failed in negotiations to buy the company before it went [...]