Fewer abortions in 2009
The number of abortions in the U.S. fell 5 percent in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts said the decline was caused mostly by the growing use of effective contraception, including IUDs, hormone patches, and the pill.
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Americans weigh in and up
American men are weighing in at an average of 196 pounds—16 pounds more than in 1990, a new Gallup survey has found. The average weight for women jumped 14 pounds—to 156 pounds—over the same period. Gallup estimates 62 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese.
New York Post
Rolling Stones climb the age chart
The four members of the Rolling Stones, who launched their 50th anniversary tour in London last week, are now older on average than the nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood have an average age of almost 69 years, while the justices’ average age is nearly 67 years.
Associated Press
Americans try their luck overseas
Americans are moving overseas to find work. Some 6.3 million U.S. citizens are now studying or working abroad, the highest number ever recorded.
The Washington Post
States legislatures and one party control
One political party now controls the state legislature of 47 states. Half of these legislatures have veto-proof super-majorities, meaning that either Republicans or Democrats can pass legislation without any compromise.
Salon.com
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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