Workers inspect an area outside a retaining wall around storage tanks where a chemical leaked into the Elk River at Freedom Industries storage facility in Charleston, Va., Monday, Jan. 13, 2014.(Photo: Steve Helber, AP)Story HighlightsWest Virginia remained at the bottom of the well-being list for the fifth consecutive yearThe states with high well-being scores enjoyed lower obesity rates and other common health problemsResidents in states with low well-being were more likely to have limited access to basic necessitiesThe well-being of Americans hasn't improved in the past six years, and it even declined slightly in 2013, according to a recent Gallup study. While national figures remained flat overall, the ranks of the states with the highest well-being scores changed considerably. North Dakota topped the well-being list in 2013 after failing to crack the top 10 in 2012. Hawaii, 2012's top state, fell to eighth in 2013. West Virginia, on the other hand, remained at the bottom of the list for the fifth consecutive year.The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which interviewed more than 176,000 people from all 50 states last year, measures the physical and emotional health of Americans across the country.[1]24/7 Wall St.[2] reviewed the more than 50 metrics comprising the six broad categories Gallup used to identify well-being.Well-being matters because it effectively reflects health, employment, education and the local environment, Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, told 24/7 Wall St.Witters suggested that this means that a strong economy and a healthy, educated workforce can improve well-being, just as high well-being may also influence further development.Because these relationships appear to exist, "there's a lot of things that employers or communities can do structurally, culturally, legislatively, that can positively affect change around well-being," Witters added.The Gallup-Healthways survey asked respondents a large range of questions. There were several indicators for which…

Actavis, a drug maker whose logo is seen here, plans to buy Forest Laboratories(Photo: AP)Story HighlightsForest Lab shares soar on $25 billion buyoutInvestors wonder if other smaller drug companeis are in playBig drugmakers shares unchanged, but some smaller stocks see actionForest Laboratories' investors are scoring big on news of the $25 billion buyout by Actavis, and some wonder if the interest will spread to other drugmakers' shares.Shares of Forest Labs, a maker of treatments for conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, are definitely the biggest winners from the news, rocketing $20.88, or 29%, to $92.27 in midday trading Tuesday. And in an interesting twist, shares of the buyer, Actavis, is also higher, $13.36, or 6.7%, to $205.24. Typically, shares of the acquiring company initially fall as investors worry that it paid too much for the deal.Investors wonder if this deal, though, puts the pharmaceutical industry in play and sets it up for further stock gains. Among the biggest reactions are among the smaller drug makers who compete with Forest, which presumably could be ripe for corporate deal making. Shares of Insmed, a biotech company developing treatments for lung diseases, jumped $1.98, or 11.9%, to $18.59. Actavis CEO Paul Bisario will helm the newly enlarged company.(Photo: Maryanne Russell, AP)Mallinckrodt, a developer of treatments for chronic pain, added $4.41, or 6.6%, to $71.62. And Mylan, which specializes in a number of injectable drugs, gained $2.79, or 6.1%, to $48.89.Outside these smaller players, though, stock reactions were small with the largest drug and biotech companies. The U.S. drugmaking giants Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Merck each saw there shares move less than 1%. Foreign drugmaking giants Roche and GlaxoSmithKline saw their shares added 1.2% and 1.6% respectively....

A 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt.(Photo: GM via Wieck)Story HighlightsAt least six have been killed in crashes involving faulty switchesGM recalling 778,562 Chevy Cobalt, Pontiac G5 compacts to install new switchesHeavy key rings can pull switch out of position, break contactAt least six people have died because of accidents involving faulty ignition switches in General Motors compacts, prompting the big automaker to recall 778,562 of its 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007 Pontiac G5 compacts in North America.Recalls rarely involve flaws that kill people; many are linked with no accidents or injuries.But some notable recalls in recent years have been connected with deaths, including a Jeep recall last year, Toyota's "sudden acceleration" recalls in 2010 that were blamed in part on driver error and a Honda multiyear recall for faulty airbags.This recall is for switches that can shut off the car if jarred and the remedy is to replace the switch. It will be difficult to get done because the cars are old enough to be in the hands of second, or even third owners. Industry and safety officials' experience shows that many subsequent owners don't register with automakers, so it's tougher to find them with notice of a recall."GM is going to spend a considerable amount of time, money and effort locating and fixing the defective cars," says Kaitlin Wowak, University of Notre Dame assistant professor of management, who specializes in supply chain risks.GM said it knows of at least 22 accidents linked to the ignition switches in the nearly identical Cobalt and G5. The cars were discontinued years ago but still can be found as cheap used vehicles for low-budget shoppers.The recall is a black eye for GM, just as it is rebuilding its image now that the government no longer owns any of its stock and its new CEO is…