Fewer American deaths in Afghanistan
As the U.S. draws down its forces, American deaths in Afghanistan have fallen sharply, from 500 in 2010 to 301 so far this year. The number of U.S. troops in the country has dropped from 100,000 to 68,000, as Afghan security forces take over much of the fighting with the Taliban.
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Popular words at Merriam-Webster
Thanks to the presidential election, “socialism” and “capitalism” are the two most-looked-up words of the year, said dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster. “They’re words that sort of encapsulate the zeitgeist,” said editor-at-large Peter Sokolowski.
Associated Press
Yoga's billions
More than 20 million Americans—8.7 percent of all adults—now practice yoga, according to a new study by Yoga Journal. Including the cost of classes, clothes, equipment, and other accessories, they spend $10.3 billion a year on their practice.
HuffingtonPost.com
Cycling deaths rise
The number of cyclists killed on America’s roads rose by 8.7 percent last year, even as total traffic deaths fell 1.9 percent to their lowest level in over 60 years. The increase in cyclists’ deaths partly reflected a boom in the use of bicycles in commuting to work.
Associated Press
Women make headway in law and medicine
Women now make up a third of all the lawyers and doctors in the U.S. In 1970, women represented only 9.7 percent of the nation’s doctors, and less than 4.9 percent of its lawyers.
The Wall Street Journal
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How will the new Repayment Assistance Plan for student loans work?the explainer The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will replace existing income-driven repayment plans
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In the Spotlight Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been at odds with US forces
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Music reviews: Ethel Cain, Amaarae, and The Black KeysFeature "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You," "Black Star," and "No Rain, No Flowers"
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Very rich and very poor in California, and morefeature California is home to 111 billionaires, yet it also suffers the highest poverty rate in the country.
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Arctic cold kills tree insects, and more
feature This winter’s arctic temperatures have had at least one beneficial impact: They’ve killed ash borers, gypsy moths, and other tree-eating insects.
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Congress's poor record, and more
feature The 113th Congress is on course to pass less legislation than any Congress in history.
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Gender differences in employment, and more
feature
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A first for West Point, and more
feature For the first time, two male graduates of West Point were married at the military academy’s chapel.
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A God given land?, and more
feature More white evangelical Protestants than U.S Jews believe that Israel was “given to the Jewish people by God.”
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Jailing the mentally ill, and more
feature American prisons have replaced state mental hospitals as a place to warehouse the mentally ill.
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Treating Internet addiction, and more
feature Treating Internet addiction; Freshman virgins at Harvard; A salary handicap for lefties; Prices for vintage automobiles soar; Gun permits for blind people