Facts & Trends

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, thought he was announcing the phone number of a meningitis hotline, but provided the number of a phone sex line.  Callers heard a woman say, “Hello, boys....” ...

"We can't end terrorism any more than we can end crime in general.  But I look forward to the day when an act of terrorism by self proclaimed Muslims will be universally dismissed as nothing more than a criminal attack ...

Chance that an American fast-food customer uses posted calorie information to make food buying decisions: 1 in 6 ...

The oceans, like the rest of the planet, set a temperature record in 2014, at 60.9°F (16°C), or 1.03°F above the 20th century average.  Acidity is up as well—a bad combination for sea life ...

A nonprofit group in San Francisco is helping the city's homeless population with a former public transit bus that's been outfitted with two bathrooms, complete with toilets and hot showers. "If you're living on the streets and you're filthy, you ...

THE PROBLEM Flight delays, a large share of which are caused by weather, cost the U.S. economy $31 billion annually. Regulators have been slow to approve technology that could provide pilots access to weather data. THE INNOVATION Mobile technology can ...

British scientists invented a cellphone battery powered by urine. This “is about as eco as it gets,” said one researcher, noting that urine is a renewable resource ...

Average cost of a hospital stay in the United States: $12,000 In Germany: $5,000 ...

A Danish politician is trying to stand out from his rivals in national elections by appearing in X-rated campaign posters wearing nothing more than a cowboy hat, a holster, and a determined gaze.  John Erik Wagner, 51, who is running ...

Ratio of shooters in the U.S. who attack their own communities: 2 in 3 ...