Month: March 2014

Bill Gates has returned to the top of Forbes magazine's annual list of the world's richest people, as rising stock markets swelled the ranks of billionaires, which included a record number of women. With a net worth of $76 billion, the Microsoft Corp co-founder reclaimed the top spot after a four-year hiatus, toppling Mexico's telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who placed second at $72 billion, Forbes said in announcing the list on Monday. Amancio Ortega, the Spanish founder of clothing conglomerate Inditex SA, which includes the Zara fashion chain, ranked third at $64 billion. Investing icon Warren Buffett, who runs Berkshire Hathaway Inc and is a frequent bridge partner for Gates, was fourth at $58.2 billion.

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government has barely made a dent in poverty in the past 50 years despite massive spending on programs to aid the poor, House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said in a report on Monday. The Wisconsin Republican, a potential presidential contender in 2016, released the report a day before President Barack Obama sends Congress his own annual budget proposals, expected to include several provisions for helping the poor. By releasing the report, Ryan, a fiscal hawk who was his party's unsuccessful vice-presidential candidate in 2012, appeared to be presenting himself as being more committed to helping poor Americans hoist themselves into the middle class. The report, compiled by the Republican staff of Ryan's committee, said the U.S. poverty rate of 15 percent in 2012 was down only slightly from the 17.3 percent in 1965, the year after President Lyndon Johnson launched his "war on poverty" with new spending on aid programs.

By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When he releases his budget proposal on Tuesday, President Barack Obama will be able to celebrate the smallest deficit since he took office in 2009. He also will be able to enjoy a cease-fire in the fiscal battles that have paralyzed Washington for the past three years. Though tight spending caps have already shrunk spending by the Pentagon and other government agencies to their lowest levels in 50 years, they will do nothing to slow the steady growth of government health and retirement costs as the nation's millions of Baby Boomers age. Absent dramatic tax increases, spending on the elderly — Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare health insurance — will crowd out education, scientific research, transportation and other programs that boost economic competitiveness, experts say.

Beneath this lackluster scenario, though, lie several layers of companies that are part of Europe's turnaround story. Here are two options you might consider: The FirstTrust Europe AlphaDEX exchange-traded fund, invests in an equal-weighted portfolio of European stocks, some of which aren't the name-brand companies found in most capitalization-weighted portfolios. By avoiding concentration in many of the mega-caps dominating most European portfolios, the AlphaDEX has sampled several smaller companies poised for growth, especially those in weaker but recovering euro zone economies such as Greece, Ireland and Spain. For a more focused approach on small-company stocks, consider the WisdomTree Europe SmallCap Dividend Fund.

The benefits of vitamin D, backed up by tons of research, ring loud and clear: strong bones, improved mood, even more efficient weight loss. But signs that you’re low on the nutrient are a bit quieter. If you notice one or more of these issues, head to your physician to get your blood tested.

By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A program that provides nutrition assistance to millions of low-income families may be linked to improved well-being among children, according to a new study. Researchers found that children in households who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for six months had substantial improvements in their consistent access to food – or “food security.” Food insecurity has been linked to a number of health and developmental problems among children, the authors write. “Stated simply, SNAP works,” James Mabli told Reuters Health. “SNAP is achieving its objective of reducing hunger, and it’s achieving that objective for one of the most vulnerable populations which are households with children,” he said.

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent OSLO (Reuters) – Increasing similarity in diets worldwide is a threat to health and food security with many people forsaking traditional crops such as cassava, sorghum or millet, an international study showed on Monday. “More people are consuming more calories, protein and fat, and they rely increasingly on a shortlist of major food crops … along with meat and dairy products,” Colin Khoury, leader of the study at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, said in a statement. Such diets have been linked to risks of heart disease, cancers and diabetes, the study said. Reliance on a narrower group of food crops also raises vulnerability to pests and diseases that might gain because of climate change.

A man died today after suffering a heart attack during an American Heart Association charity walk  in upstate New York on Saturday, despite efforts by two fellow charity walkers to save his life, authorities said. Michael Wofford, 66, collapsed during the America’s Greatest Heart Run…

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Young smokers who have smoked more cigarettes have clear differences in their brains compared to lighter smokers, according to a new study. “Earlier studies of older participants showed that the smokers had structural differences in various brain regions,” said senior author Edythe D. London. And in studies of adolescent animals, nicotine damaged and killed brain cells, added London, from the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles. “While the results do not prove causation, they suggest that there are effects of cigarette exposure on brain structure in young smokers, with a relatively short smoking history,” London said.