Ariel’s Story Picks: Amazon, Auto Insurance, and Glow-in-the-Dark Cats

With Chad on vacation, I’ll be taking over the “steaming pile” for a few days (and changing the name temporarily…) Here are my story picks for the day:

1.) Amazon looking into becoming a "Netflix for books" [link]

I've got nothing against Amazon.com; it's a great site and one that I use often. But I'm not too excited about their latest venture: Amazon will soon be launching a Netflix-style program, which will allow users to have access to a library of books for a monthly fee.  The details haven't been released yet, but basically, it looks like Amazon wants you to pay for a service that you already get for free at your local library.

2.) One in seven U.S. drivers are uninsured [link]

Here's a bit of bad news: if you get hit in an auto accident, there's a one in seven chance that the guy who hits you doesn't have insurance:

Despite laws in nearly every state requiring auto insurance, one in seven drivers in the USA goes uncovered. That's according to an industry group that estimates 13.8% of motorists are uninsured, a number that has climbed during the economic downturn as many financially-pressed Americans allowed their insurance to lapse. "Over the last 20 years, uninsured motorists and the unemployment rate have tracked fairly closely," says David Corum, vice president of the Insurance Research Council, a non-profit supported by insurers.

Even though insurance is required in most states, it seems the tough economy is causing more and more drivers to go without. Just more reason for you to be careful on the roads out there.

3.) Glow-in-the-dark cats may help with AIDS research [link]

Scientists have genetically engineered a liter of kittens with an odd side effect: they glow in the dark. These luminescent felines have special blood cells that are resistant to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which leads to feline AIDS. Despite the glow, the kittens are perfectly healthy and happy.  Scientists are hoping that researching these kittens will help develop new ways to fight against HIV and AIDS in humans. (hopefully without the glowing side effects...)