Oil powerhouse Venezuela struggles to keep lights on

Despite having some of the world’s largest energy reserves, Venezuela is increasingly struggling to maintain basic electrical service, a growing challenge for leftist President Hugo Chavez. The OPEC nation has suffered three nationwide blackouts this year, and chronic power shortages have sparked protests from the western Andean highlands to San Felix, a city of mostly poor [...] "eliotcobb.com"

Want to lose weight? Try eating. That’s one of the strategies being developed by scientists experimenting with foods that trick the body into feeling full. At the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, England, food expert Peter Wilde and colleagues are developing foods that slow down the digestive system, which then triggers a signal to the [...] "eliotcobb.com"

Seve Ballesteros’ brain tumor is cancerous and he will undergo another operation to relieve pressure caused by swelling and bleeding that have recently developed. The remaining parts of the malignant tumor, located in a very deep part of the brain, will be removed in Friday’s procedure. La Paz Hospital said Thursday that the surgery is “of great [...] "eliotcobb.com"

Threatening letters sent this week to banks and financial institutions declare “It’s payback time” and promise death within 10 days, the FBI said Thursday. More than 50 letters mailed to Chase Bank branches and federal regulatory offices in 11 cities this week, most filled with white powder, have so far tested negative for any dangerous toxins. But [...] "eliotcobb.com"

CEO says newspaper asset sales difficult now EPS beats estimates, but expects write-down Board to review dividend policy before end of year Shares down 6 percent (Adds Moody’s saying it may give NY Times junk rating on debt). The New York Times Co (NYT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) posted a quarterly loss from continuing operations on Thursday, hurt [...] "eliotcobb.com"

Ali is a highly trained German shepherd that spent eight years on narcotics patrol with the New Jersey police force, hunting down drug smugglers at airports and drug dealers on inner-city streets. Post-retirement, he’s working in the private sector, sniffing teenagers’ bedrooms. Ali and his handler are now working for a new company in New Jersey [...] "eliotcobb.com"

Wall Street retreated again Thursday as fears about the health of the economy scared off bargain hunters who had briefly given the market a lift after two days of selling. The Dow Jones industrials fell about 200 points, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell more than 3 percent after online retailer Amazon.com lowered its [...] "eliotcobb.com"

Scrambling to meet commanders’ insatiable demands for unmanned aircraft, the Air Force is launching two new training programs, including an experimental one that would churn out up to 1,100 desperately needed pilots to fly the drones over Iraq and Afghanistan. As many as 700 Air Force personnel have expressed some interest in the test program, which [...] "eliotcobb.com"