Believing that fraud can’t happen to us — because we’re too smart, logical or informed — may make us more vulnerable. Successful scam artists skillfully overcome our defenses and get us into emotional states that override logical thinking, says Kathy Stokes, AARP’s director of fraud prevention programs. “Scammers call it getting the victim under the...Read More

Microplastics contained in drinking water pose a “low” risk to human health at current levels, but more research is needed to reassure consumers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. Studies over the past year on plastic particles detected in tap and bottled water have sparked public concerns but the limited data appears reassuring,...Read More

Mexican musician Celso Pina, famed as “the rebel of the accordion” for mixing eclectic styles with traditional Colombian cumbia, died on Wednesday of a heart attack in his hometown of Monterrey, his record label La Tuna Records said. He was 66 years old, according to local media. With an interest in genres ranging from ska...Read More

Tropical Storm Ivo formed Wednesday off the southwestern coast of Mexico but was not forecast to pose a threat of landfall. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ivo was expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Friday but remain well clear of the coast. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph)....Read More

A pro-legalization group in Mexico says a court has granted two injunctions ordering the government to allow plaintiffs to carry and use cocaine, though not to buy or sell it. The injunctions do not have any immediate effect, nor do they create a precedent or strike down current laws that make possession of cocaine illegal...Read More