birth

NBC's Today is featuring real-life surgeries this week in its "Inside the O.R." series. Though questionable in taste and purpose, the timing couldn't have been better for the February sweeps period that starts tomorrow and runs to March 3.

A low birthrate has prompted the Japanese government to provide tangible incentives for growing families. A new proposal would pay parents $3,400 per year per child in an effort to counteract the effects of an aging population. Japan's birthrate is currently among the lowest in the world. At...