Fauja Singh, age 100, runs a marathon
A British man has become the first 100-year-old to complete a marathon. Fauja Singh, who was born in India, took up running at age 89 after his wife and child died. He finished the 26.2-mile race in Toronto this week in 8 hours and 11 minutes.
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President Obama and the consumer-confidence index
No president in modern times has been re-elected with a consumer-confidence index below 75. Today it’s at 57.5—which is 7 points lower than when Jimmy Carter lost his re-election bid.
The New York Times Magazine
Beating HIV
A 20-year-old with HIV who is treated with the current anti-retroviral drug regimen can now expect to live 46 more years, according to a new British study.
FoxNews.com
The cost of fluorescent lightbulbs rises
The price of compact fluorescent lightbulbs has soared 37 percent this year, mostly because China has temporarily shut down its rare-earth industry to deal with pollution problems. Beginning Jan. 1, the U.S. will phase in compact fluorescent bulbs as an energy-efficient—but initially more costly—alternative to traditional bulbs.
The New York Times
Banks and corporate profits
The 10 largest U.S. banks hold 54 percent of corporate financial assets—up from 20 percent in 1990. The financial industry now accounts for more than 30 percent of all corporate profits in the U.S.
MotherJones.com
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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