Good news: The bald eagle and the gray wolf are back from the brink of extinction. Bad news: That leaves chimps, manatees, polar bears, whales ... Which ones can be saved, and how?
1Quick Study: Where Our Garbage Goes In a calm stretch of the northern Pacific lies the Eastern Garbage Patch, a stew of trash twice the size of Texas. Deadly for ocean life, the icky area holds some of the two billion tons of waste we create each year. While technology offers hope for more enlightened disposal, the clock is ticking: Garbage will double by 2030.
2Quick Study: Pirates! Even before sacking the U.S.-flagged Maersk, high-seas thieves had been plenty busy hijacking loaded ships in sparsely patrolled waters. Here, the Reader's Digest Version of why this centuries-old scourge is back—and its human and financial toll.
3Quick Study: The Future of Work Say goodbye to the classic 40-hour workweek. The sputtering economy, the decline of manufacturing, and the ubiquitous BlackBerry are remaking 9 to 5 into something with unpredictable hours and fuzzier borders.
4Quick Study: Twister Discover the anatomy of a tornado and the time line of life-changing twisters.
5Quick Study: Taxes, Taxes, Taxes Hard times mean a hard look at taxes—how much we pay, who skates through loopholes and more. Learn about the impact on your return.
6Quick Study: Standardized Tests If you think your kids need to spend more time penciling in answer bubbles, the College Board has granted your wish.
911 Calls Gone Tragically Wrong Wrong addresses, dismissive dispatchers, and crossed signals. Our police response system is in crisis, and the cost can be measured in lives.