GOOD DAY FOR: Seed money, as sperm banks and fertility clinics are reporting a sharp uptick in calls from interested sperm and egg donors since the recession hit. Donations can be fairly lucrative—Oregon Health & Science University, for example, pays $100 per sperm deposit, up to twice a week, and $5,000 per egg—but it’s nice work if you can get it: the criteria for being accepted by a donor is strict, and most interested people are turned away. (USA Today)
BAD DAY FOR: Payback, as U.S. credit card and consumer loan delinquencies hit record highs in the first quarter, pushed up by rising unemployment and the deflating housing market, the American Bankers Association said. A record 6.60 percent of all credit card debt was more than 30 days past due in the January to March quarter, and consumer loan delinquencies hit 3.23 percent. The ABA expects the number to get worse in the next year. (Reuters)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerousThe Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulusPuzzles and Quizzes
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
