For real education reform, take a cue from the Adventists

By Elissa Kido

Christian Science Monitor

Education reform has taken center stage lately as Americans struggle to close the oft-condemned achievement gap. But quietly in our midst, the second largest Christian school system in the world has been steadily outperforming the national average – across all demographics.

Investors Put Money on Lawsuits to Get Payouts

By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM

New York Times

Large banks, hedge funds and private investors hungry for new and lucrative opportunities are bankrolling other people’s lawsuits, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into medical malpractice claims, divorce battles and class actions against corporations — all in the hope of sharing in the potential winnings. [Interactive Graphic] [Graphic]

The Lionfish Creates an Uproar, Bringing Out the Hunters

Voracious Intruders Stalked With Spears; Doing Your Part by Eating Them
By PAUL GLADER

Wall Street Journal

KEY LARGO, Fla.—Fluctuations in the fish population are flummoxing marine scientists the world over. But few species elicit the solution served up for the lionfish.

Are you a wimpy parent? Check for these 7 signs

A child psychologist shares seven questions to ask yourself to determine if you are a wimpy parent.
By Gregory Ramey
(Cox Newspapers)

Seattle Times

DAYTON, Ohio — I have evaluated numerous children whose only problems are that they live with loving and dedicated parents who are wimps.

Should You Be Snuggling With Your Cellphone?

By RANDALL STROSS

New York Times

WARNING: Holding a cellphone against your ear may be hazardous to your health. So may stuffing it in a pocket against your body.

Making Ads That Whisper to the Brain

By NATASHA SINGER

New York Times

WHAT happens in our brains when we watch a compelling TV commercial?

The Defiant Ones

In her new book, the author of 'Seabiscuit' turns to the unimaginable ordeal of an Olympic athlete and WW II hero. Because of her own debilitating illness, they struck a special bond.
By STEVE ONEY

Wall Street Journal

With a fringe of white hair poking out from under a University of Southern California baseball cap and blue eyes sharp behind bifocals, 93-year-old Louis Zamperini refuses to concede much to old age. He still works a couple of hours each day in the yard of his Hollywood Hills home, bagging leaves, climbing stairs and, on occasion, trimming trees with a chainsaw. His outlook is upbeat, even rambunctious. "I have a cheerful countenance at all times," he says. "When you have a good attitude your immune system is fortified." But as he plunged into "Unbroken," Laura Hillenbrand's 496-page story of his life, the happy trappings of his current existence fell away. [Interactive Graphics]

What's the Latest Move in Sports? Doing the 'Dougie'

Dance Moves Into New Arenas, and There's a Bow-Tie Version

By BEN COHEN

Wall Street Journal

Across the sports world, from college pep rallies to the gridirons of the NFL, it's becoming the year of the Dougie.

This celebratory dance— based on a series of moves described in the hit song "Teach Me How To Dougie," by the hip-hop group Cali Swag District—generally consists of shimmying and then gliding one's hand through one's hair. In a long line of Ickey Shuffles and Dirty Birds, it is just the latest example of athletes using work as an excuse to boogie.

Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Welfare Kings

There is no precedent in Jewish history for a whole community devoting itself to Torah scholarship.
By EVAN R. GOLDSTEIN

Wall Street Journal

In Israel, where modernity coexists uneasily with tradition, hand-wringing about the country's ultra-Orthodox Jewish minority is a national pastime. Cloistered in poor towns and neighborhoods, exempted from conscription into the military and surviving largely off government handouts, the black-hatted ultra-Orthodox, known as Haredim, have long vexed more secular Israelis. Now, in the wake of an Israeli Supreme Court decision, this perennial tension has escalated to new heights.

Man makes record $335,000 in Entropia Universe virtual real estate deal

By Chris Richardson,

Christian Science Monitor

While real estate prices are down across America, there is one place that's booming. Just don't count on the bank giving you a mortgage for these properties. They are completely fictional.