65K Streetlights in Detroit Illuminate Exciting New Growth

For years, the streets of Detroit have been dark – now the city's 65,000 new streetlights usher in a bright new era of post-bankruptcy.

By Tiffani Spengler

11 January 69 Views

US Poll Reveals Overwhelming Optimism for 2012

Americans are hopeful for what 2012 will bring for their families and the country, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. Overall, 62 percent of those surveyed say they're optimistic about what 2012 will bring for the country. And for themselves and their families, Americans are even more positive.

By Jeanne Goddard

29 December 60 Views

Starbucks Wristbands Created These Jobs

Starbucks has raised more than $7 million by selling 'Create Jobs' wristbands. The company expects the program to create 2,300 jobs as the money makes its way to small businesses and nonprofits.

By Jeanne Goddard

16 February 60 Views

Myanmar and Rebels Sign Historic Cease-Fire After 60-year Internal War

Myanmar's government signed a cease-fire agreement today with rebels in a major step toward ending one of the world's longest-running insurgencies, part of efforts by Myanmar's new civilian government to embarked on democratic reforms after years of military repression.

By Jeanne Goddard

12 January 67 Views

Oprah Celebrates First Graduating Class of South African Girls Academy

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, which opened in January 2007 in South Africa to provide educational opportunities for gifted girls from impoverished backgrounds, celebrated its first graduating class Saturday. 72 girls of graduating age filed onto the stage, all wearing white dresses, to cheers and tears from Oprah herself, who'd invested $40 million to give them a safe haven and opportunities undreamed of before.

By Jeanne Goddard

15 January 67 Views

For Pope Francis, A Simple Mass And A Call To Protect The Poor

With less silk, lace and gold than many of his predecessors displayed, Pope Francis on Tuesday was inaugurated at a Holy Mass in St. Peter's Square during which he appealed to world leaders to be protectors of the poor and the environment.

By Jeanne Goddard

19 March 67 Views

Inventor's Project Funded Online Hits $1 Million Milestone

Kickstarter, a website designed to fund creative projects through the support of small online donations, crowned its first millionaire this week: Casey Hopkins, an engineer based in Portland, Ore., who invented the world's best iPhone dock.

By Jeanne Goddard

12 February 78 Views

Economy Grew At 3.2 Percent Pace In Fourth-Quarter 2010

Gross domestic product grew at a 3.2 percent annual rate in fourth-quarter 2010, up from a 2.6 percent pace in the third quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis just reported.

By Jeanne Goddard

28 January 60 Views

Israeli Device Lets Paralyzed People Stand, Walk

When Israeli entrepreneur Amit Goffer was paralyzed in a car crash in 1997, he went on a quest to help other victims walk again. He invented robotic pants called the ReWalk machine that helps paralyzed patients stand and walk.

By Jeanne Goddard

04 December 61 Views

Saving US Grasslands: Turning Back the Clock on Desertification

As grasslands diminish on prairies and savannas around the world, an innovative ranching technique that reverses the environmental damage of desertification makes its way to the US. For a rancher whose livelihood depended on those diminishing grasslands, it was an oncoming economic and ecological disaster in slow motion. But in Colorado, the grass came back lush and green.

By Cindy McDaniel

09 January 62 Views

South Sudan Rebel Group Lays Down Arms

The South Sudan Democratic Movement declared a ceasefire yesterday, accepting an amnesty offered by President Salva Kiir last July when South Sudan gained independence from the north.

By Jeanne Goddard

01 March 116 Views

Vast Aquifer Found in Namibia Could Last for Centuries

A newly discovered water source in Namibia could have a major impact on development in the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the BBC, estimates suggest the aquifer could supply the north of the country for 400 years at current rates of consumption.

By Jeanne Goddard

21 July 60 Views

From Panic Attacks to the Best Mother's Day Ever

A mom in Britain wrote to share the good news that her daughter, after a lifetime of suffering from a panic disorder, was able to join her mother and sister on a date for lunch and shopping - something that has never been possible before. It was the best Mother's Day gift of all and seen as a hopeful sign for sufferers of the disorder everywhere.

By Jeanne Goddard

12 May 65 Views

After Katrina, a Promise Kept: 101 New Homes Given by CEO

After watching the devastation of neighborhoods after Hurricane Katrina, Barnes and Noble CEO Leonard Riggio promised to give away new homes to 100 displaced families. At the dedication of the final home, a gospel choir sang Ain't No Mountain High Enough while 55-year-old Corliss Gaines' eyes swelled with tears.

By Jeanne Goddard

24 December 60 Views

Cancer Rates in U.S. Keep Falling: American Cancer Society

Cancer death rates are continuing to fall, dropping by 1.8 percent per year in men and 1.6 percent per year in women, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report on cancer statistics released on Wednesday.

By Jeanne Goddard

06 January 71 Views