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Breastfed babies are more likely to turn into well-educated and higher-earning adults, according to a major long-term study. ... It is already known that breastfeeding can increase a child’s IQ by a small amount. The question that Dr Bernardo Lessa Horta from the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil wanted to answer was whether this translated into greater intelligence and better prospects as an adult. “Our study provides the first evidence that prolonged breastfeeding not only increases intelligence until at least the age of 30 years but also has an impact both at an individual and societal level by improving...

Attention, class: A Common Core mouthpiece wants to rap my knuckles with his Gates Foundation-funded ruler. In response to my column two weeks ago about the marketing overlords pushing the Fed Ed racket, Chad Colby of Achieve Inc. demanded corrections. Let’s go to school. “I wanted to take a moment to highlight two points that were incorrect regarding Achieve,” Colby complained. “Contrary to Ms. Malkin’s assertion, Achieve employs no lobbyists and we never have.” No? Never? Someone didn’t do his homework. Mr. Colby, meet Patricia Sullivan. She’s the founding executive director of Achieve and a career lobbyist who has bounced...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2007 – When people ask him why the U.S. military should be helping Iraq establish a free and stable society, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy M. de Vries cites how France helped the American colonies gain their independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. De Vries is one of eight servicemembers who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been speaking to American community groups and businesses across the nation as part of the Defense Department’s “Why We Serve” public-outreach program. “If it wasn’t for the French support, with supplies and...

SACRAMENTO As California begins mapping out its strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions, how industries will be forced to comply is emerging as one of the most complex aspects of the debate. A key component of the state's plan to implement last year's far-reaching global warming law was submitted Friday to California air regulators. The state Air Resources Board received a 107-page report commissioned last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that endorses a market-trading program. Under such a program, power plants, refineries, cement plants and other industries that produce greenhouse gases can buy and sell credits for their emissions. That...

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2006 – Iraqi forces with coalition aviation support captured a "significant criminal" in East Baghdad yesterday, coalition spokesman Army Maj. Gen. Bill Caldwell said today. Speaking to reporters by satellite from Baghdad, Caldwell was able to show video of the Iraqi-planned, Iraqi-led and Iraqi-executed operation. Coalition personnel accompanied the operation, but only in an "overwatch" role, Caldwell said. Overwatch means they observed the operation and could have advised Iraqi leaders if needed, the general explained. Caldwell said the criminal was picked up with four other men. "He led multiple insurgent cells in Baghdad," the general said. "His...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, July 4, 2006 – For soldiers like Army Spc. Guillermo Paniagua, a nuclear, chemical and biological specialist with Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, enlisting into the Army meant more than just joining the military - it meant joining the United States. Servicemembers recite the oath of citizenship at Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory, Iraq, July 4. Seventy-six soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors from 29 different countries became American citizens during the ceremony. Photo by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin, USA   In a Fourth of July ceremony, Paniagua and 75 fellow servicemembers from 29 different countries took...

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2006 – All the military services achieved or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals in the month of May, which marks the 12th consecutive month they've done so, according to information released by DoD June 9. Jacob Cristina, of Metairie, La., recites the Navy's oath of enlistment, given by Cmdr. Charles Schug, commanding officer of Navy Recruiting District New Orleans, during enlistment ceremony at the command's headquarters earlier this year. Cristina was NRD New Orleans' first applicant to be sworn in at the headquarters since Hurricane Katrina caused it to be moved. Cristina signed up to become...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2006 – President Bush expressed optimism today that the Iraqi people will move beyond sectarian divisions fueled by the Feb. 22 bombing of a sacred Sunni Muslim mosque to continue their path toward democracy. Bush, speaking at the annual American Legion Convention here, said violence between Iraq's sects, set off by the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, presents what he called "a moment of choosing for the Iraqi people." The attacks sparked widespread protests, attacks on Sunni mosques and killings. Bush praised Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and other Iraqi leaders for urging restraint following the...

La., 12 other states agree to raise high school standards By BEN FELLER AP education writer WASHINGTON -- A coalition of 13 states confirmed plans Sunday to require tougher high school courses and diploma requirements, changes that could affect about one in three students. The announcement is the most tangible sign that the nation's governors, gathered in the capital for a summit on improving high schools, want to see that progress quickly. The participating states have committed to making their core high school classes and tests more rigorous, and to match their graduation standards with the expectations of employers and...

WASHINGTON - With dropout rates rising, governors nationwide are being asked to lead a high school overhaul that demands more skills of students and help from colleges. The call for action, outlined Tuesday by leaders of an upcoming national summit on high schools, would change everything from core course requirements to state graduation standards. It came as the Educational Testing Service reported Tuesday that high school completion rates dropped nationally from 1990 to 2000, with about one third of students failing to graduate. It is the latest in a string of sobering assessments of high school performance. "Students can make...

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