10 things you need to know today: November 16, 2013

(Image credit: (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images))

last updated 8 January 2015

1. China to loosen one-child policy

China is easing its one-child policy, which has been in place since 1980. Under the new law, parents will be able to have two children, as long as one of the parents is an only child. The reforms come amid concerns that China faces a labor shortage. [Wall Street Journal]

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Health officials in the Philippines say that at least 3,631 have died as a result of Super Typhoon Haiyan, with the number of injured at 12,487 and climbing. In some areas there has been a "total absence of food and water," with victims forced to live off coconut juice. Search-and-rescue efforts continue in the central Philippines, especially in Tacloban City, where many bodies have been buried in mass graves. [CNN]

Officials for the U.S. Postal Service announced that the agency lost $5 billion over the last fiscal year, an improvement over the year before, when it lost $15.9 billion. While revenue grew over 2012, mail volume declined to 158.4 billion pieces of mail from 159.9 billion the previous year. The USPS said it improved its financial situation through a staffing reduction and consolidating hundreds of mail processing plants. [New York Times]

Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.

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