MEXICO CITY – Some coastal towns closed their schools and small boats were ordered off the sea near the popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta as a weakening Hurricane Carlos swirled up Mexico’s southwestern coast. Carlos lost power Tuesday night, with its sustained winds barely strong enough to make it …

The Obama administration seems to have to have put itself in the firing line over its handling of the crisis in Syria by not stopping the Mideast country from being elected to a UNESCO committee that deals with human rights. Critics say that granting Syria a seat on the committee, …

The owner of an eatery in New York City’s Lower Manhattan who said he was forced to let go 25 percent of his staff last month due to the Occupy Wall Street protests now says he might have to close his doors for good come next week. Marc Epstein, owner …

The United States must maintain a strong astronaut corps, even though human space flight has been temporarily stalled for NASA and many astronauts have retired or quit this year, argues a new report from the National Research Council (NRC). Over the years, the number of astronauts employed by NASA has …

CHICAGO — Carbon dioxide is hazardous to your health, the Environmental Protection Agency says. Oh really? EPA scientists say manmade carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are contributing to a warming of the global climate — and as such represent a threat to human welfare. Officials went so far as …

The sudden swarm of earthquakes in Arkansas — including the largest quake to hit the state in 35 years — is very possibly an after effect of natural-gas drilling, experts warn. At issue is a practice called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” in which water is injected into the ground at …

Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide (NYSE:HOT) has delved into the world’s most fashionable capitol, opening a new W Hotel in a historic Parisian building. The company’s opening of W Paris – Opera, which is set inside a historic 1870s Haussman-era heritage building near Opera Garnier, Galeries Lafayette and Place Vendome …

Sometimes I feel like I’m becoming a “Tiger Dad.” At other times I feel like a wimp Western father who questions if we are being too hard on our kids. The recently published book the “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” by Yale Law Professor Amy Chua had a huge …

With Romney’s third place finish in Mississippi and Alabama Tuesday, one thing is certain: The Republican presidential primaries may remain Mitt Romney’s to win, but that has more to do with arithmetic and delegates than it does with voters. Given his win in Hawaii last night, the former governor only …

The news that rising star Mila Kunis will make a Marine’s dream come true by accompanying him to the Marine Corps Ball on November 18 in Greenville, North Carolina when he gets back from Afghanistan is one of the coolest things I’ve heard in awhile. And it’s a welcome reminder …