IBT Staff Reporter

There is a growing group of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children, believing that vaccines increase the risk of autism, diabetes, asthma and other ailments. But a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies concludes that adverse effects are extremely rare.

Texas Governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry was endorsed Thursday by Kinky Friedman, who garnered media buzz when he ran as an independent against Perry in 2006.

Gold rose on Thursday after two days of sharp declines, as tumbling European and U.S. equity markets on talk that Germany might enact a short-selling ban prompted investors to buy bullion as a safe haven.

Congress is tantalizingly close to passing patent reform that President Barack Obama has hailed as an economic booster, but the legislation is expected to do little to divert money away from patent litigation and toward innovation.

Hurricane Irene has already led New Yorkers to head to the supermarkets and prepare for a wild weather weekend.

When the weather heats up, people get more uncomfortable and perhaps a little testy. But until now, no one has ever accused heat of causing war.

4,000 light years away exists an exotic planet made of diamond five times bigger than Earth,As part of an ongoing search for pulsars, the diamond planet was discovered by a team of astronomers, led by Professor Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.

Goldman Sachs is set to cut salaries for some of its London investment bankers as an agreed two-year pay rise deal comes to an end, a source familiar with the matter said.

The U.S. economy will continue to grow at a modest pace as consumers and businesses pare back excessive amounts of debt, a top Federal Reserve official said.

August was shaping up as one of the worst months ever for some top hedge fund managers like John Paulson, but Warren Buffett may have changed that.

With Hurricane Irene approaching the New York area in the coming days, many people are already stocking up and taking precautions.

Andre the miracle sea turtle, rescued through experimental surgeries after being found grievously injured off the Florida coast, was found dead just three weeks after having been released back into the wild.

HBO has struck a talent-holding deal with Manhattan star Diane Keaton with an eye toward coming up with new projects for the actress, HBO confirmed to TheWrap. With the deal in place, the cable channel currently has writers developing potential works for her.

Fox's new antiques offering Buried Treasure had trouble rummaging for an audience with its premiere, while CBS' Big Brother and NBC's America's Got Talent tied for first place, according to preliminary numbers. NBC looks to have edged out the competition to win the night overall.

At this rate, ABC might have to change its name to the Shonda Rhimes Network soon.

After Vera Farmiga was nominated for an Oscar for her performance opposite George Clooney in the 2009 film Up in the Air, the actress was offered the chance of a lifetime -- not just to act in a film, but to direct it as well.

Patients with the rare form of cancer suffered by Apple Inc's Steve Jobs face a tougher battle if the disease recurs, because of the methods used in fighting it.

Apple Inc began a new era on Thursday without Steve Jobs as chief executive, a momentous shift that surprised investors, but barely dented confidence in the near-term outlook for the stock.

DJ2 Entertainment has snatched up film rights to Adhesive Games' highly anticipated videogame Hawken.

Looks like Jim Carrey is ready to move on from Jenny McCarthy. Really, really, really ready to move on.

Trust Co of the West worked for months in secret to acquire an entire firm to replace its star bond fund manager Jeffrey Gundlach and his mortgage-backed securities department before terminating him, TCW's chief executive testified in court.

Attention, ladies; Peter Brady will officially be back on the market soon.

Are people buying the HP Touchpad en masse to make a profit of it? Seems that way.

Major stock averages fell on Thursday as traders were quick to shed positions ahead of a keenly awaited address by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday.

If thrift is an Asian virtue, then it is one that South Koreans are notably lacking: each adult has almost five credit cards on average and the household debt burden exceeds that of the United States before the subprime crisis.

Striking workers at Verizon Communications pushed up new U.S. jobless claims last week, but there was little evidence the recent stock market turmoil had spooked businesses enough for them to cut workers.

Stocks fell about 1 percent on Thursday, tracking weakness in German and European shares and overshadowing Berkshire Hathaway's investment in Bank of America that lifted the beaten down financial sector.

Tim Cook, the small-town football fanatic turned chief executive of the world's largest technology company, long faced the question of whether he had the same remarkable vision as his predecessor Steve Jobs.

Neither Brenda Song or Trace Cyrus have confirmed the pregnancy reports. Fans on Twitter have been exploding with curiosity on whether or not the story is even true. Regardless of the facts, news of the two celebs have been trending. Many are also questioning when their relationship even began: