News

This artist's illustration shows Pluto and one of its moons, Charon. A global consortium of astronomers sets the rules for naming things like asteroids and moons throughout the solar system.

Science

Why You Can't Name New Moons And Planets Anything You Want

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

Pluto's two newest moons received their official names this week, and the name that led in the popular vote was Spock's home planet, Vulcan. But it was rejected by the international team of astronomers who must approve every title bestowed upon the universe.

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Men dressed as members of the Union infantry demonstrate battalion formations for tourists.

National

Gettysburg Swells As Throngs Mark Civil War's Turning Point

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Christopher Connelly

The small town of Gettysburg, Pa., has rolled out the red carpet for tens of thousands of visitors this week. The town hopes the tourists, descending to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, will mean a $100 million boost to the local economy.

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Arts

Fizz And Fireworks: Make A Patriotic Homemade Soda For The Fourth

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Serri Graslie

Homemade sodas are hot these days: Americans bought more than 1.2 million home carbonators last year. For the Fourth of July, we asked mixologist Gina Chersevani to help us tap into the trend with a soda float inspired by Independence Day.

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Streptococcus bacteria, like this strain, can be found in our guts.

Gut Bacteria We Pick Up As Kids Stick With Us For Decades

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Rob Stein

An experimental "gut check" test can tell us more about the bacteria that live inside us. By studying the way the microbial populations change over time, researchers think they may have a new tool for monitoring health.

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Smith talks with Dawn Dillard, 57, about a medical procedure at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. Dillard has uterine cancer.

A Busy ER Doctor Slows Down To Help Patients Cope With Adversity

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Annie Feidt

For 20 years, Linda Smith was a successful ER doctor. But she started to regret doing painful procedures on patients without having the time to sit down and talk with them. So she became a palliative care doctor, one of a growing number helping people deal with life-threatening illnesses.

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World News

Zimbabwe Braces For Upcoming Elections

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

After years of food shortages and drought, in a country that was once the breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe's crippled economy is recovering — after adopting the U.S. dollar as its currency. But memories of the violent elections in 2008 are fueling fears about security. The disputed vote ended in a power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and his main opposition rival. The Zimbabwean leader has now proclaimed July 31 as election day. New York-based Human Rights Watch warns there's potential for more violence — unless key security and other reforms are brought in before the vote.

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Emma Dodd and Claire Quinn, churn butter at Claude Moore Colonial Farm.

Arts

How The DIY Butter Trend Got Churning

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

It's not just homesteaders, hipsters and foodies getting into the hands-on pursuit. The butter-churning craze is part of a larger, do-it-yourself food movement that includes everything from canning, to making homemade bitters, a food writer says.

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New Housing Project In Philadelphia Aims To Attract Teachers

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Elizabeth Fiedler

Budget cuts and layoffs are hitting teachers in Philadelphia. But the city and a local developer are hoping to offer some relief: a housing project designed for them. At a similar project in Baltimore, having fellow teachers as neighbors brings support and camaraderie after a tough day at work.

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A pedicab rider takes tourists on a ride through Times Square in 2006.

How To Spend $442 On A 15-Minute Cab Ride

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by Zoe Chace

The price of a ride in a New York City pedicab is notoriously unpredictable. "The whole business is based on hustling," one driver says. That's about to change.

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Traffic passes in front of the Soria Moria Boutique Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

World News

At Cambodia Hotel, The Workers Are The Boss

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by Daniel Zwerdling

Majority ownership of the Soria Moria hotel in Siem Reap now includes all 29 full-time employees, putting control of the hotel in the hands of workers who may have never had this kind of opportunity before.

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