Oprah Winfrey has worked her magic as she made amends with David Letterman on Thursday. Her appearance on his show was her first in 16 years, which came after years of on-air pleading by Letterman. The result: the highest ratings for CBS's 'Late Show' in more than 11 years, or an average of 13. 5 million viewers and a 4. 4 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Winfrey's appearance marked the fourth-highest rated 'Late Show' broadcast since the show premiered on CBS in 1993 and the most-watched episode since the February 1994 night when Letterman followed CBS' coverage of the winter Olympics ice skating finals featuring Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan.

Captive chimpanzees fail to help others in their social group, even when it causes no inconvenience, according to a Nature journal study. Helpfulness is prevalent in humans, even when it may harm the helper's own interests to aid another. Unlike other human-like attributes shown by chimps like tool use and maybe rudimentary language skills, helpfulness is not prevalent.

A contest sponsored by the Service Employees International Union is calling on Americans to share their ideas on how to help the economy grow and create better-paying jobs. The winning idea is worth $100,000 and two runners-up will claim a second prize of $50,000 each. SEIU President Andrew Stern says the country needs new ideas on strengthening the economy and compete in the fast-changing international marketplace - ordinary Americans are the best people to provide those ideas.

A lack of public toilets is a chronic problem in Manhattan. City officials have come up with a solution. Officials are in the midst of a proposal to install as many as 20 public pay toilets in Manhattan, as part of a larger project to replace 330 newsstands and 3,300 bus shelters.

A lack of public toilets is a chronic problem in Manhattan. City officials have come up with a solution. Officials are in the midst of a proposal to install as many as 20 public pay toilets in Manhattan, as part of a larger project to replace 330 newsstands and 3,300 bus shelters.