Researcher: Plant 'remembers,' adapts to survive By BETSY BLANEY, Associated Press – 1 hour ago LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — No one's talking about giving intelligence tests, but researchers say they've shown that plants have smarts — the sort needed to help them survive dry times.Years from now the findings could lead to crops that are better able to withstand drought conditions. Already, studies on two crops have shown they too have short-term memory for surviving dry times, University of Nebraska-Lincoln researcher Michael Fromm's said.He contends his team's findings are the first of their kind in life forms above yeasts.The outcome of Fromm's initial study, with a member of the mustard family, confirmed what many nursery professionals and home gardeners have observed: Stressing plants helps them ... Continue reading →

While President Obama’s support for same-sex marriage is symbolic, his words have little power to erase the long list of extra costs and legal hurdles that same-sex couples face. For a more realistic chance at change, gay couples are probably better off looking to the courts. Several cases are winding their way through the judicial system, most of which challenge the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 and defines marriage as between one man and one woman. The myriad indignities that gay couples and their families regularly encounter are one reason many of them say they are fighting to dismantle the law. But the financial burden they also bear can be measured. And several court cases ... Continue reading →

BEIJING (AP) -- A U.S. official says the blind Chinese activist who sought refuge in the U.S. Embassy did not ask for asylum and is staying in China after receiving assurances that he will be treated as a normal citizen. The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that Chinese authorities promised that Chen Guangcheng will be relocated to a safe environment where he can study at a university. The U.S. official says that Chen was brought into the U.S. Embassy because after his escape from house arrest in his rural village he was in need of medical care, and that the activist did not request asylum in America. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier ... Continue reading →