Potter films rake in billions
The Harry Potter movie series has earned $6.37 billion at the box office over the past decade. That exceeds the entire annual GDPs of more than 50 countries.
TheAtlantic.com
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Death rate for black men drops in prison
Black men in prison are half as likely to die at any given time as those on the outside, according to a study of 100,000 men held in North Carolina prisons over a decade. The study found that black men’s death rate dropped behind bars because they were less likely to be murdered, had better health care—and had less access to alcohol, drugs, and junk food.
Reuters.com
Raising the debt ceiling, again
Since 1980, the federal debt ceiling has been raised 39 times—17 times under Ronald Reagan, four times under Bill Clinton, and seven times under George W. Bush. It’s been raised three times under Barack Obama so far.
The Washington Post
Looking for 1 million fugitives
About 1 million fugitives from the law are at large in the U.S., the U.S. Marshals Service estimates. Many of them have succeeded in avoiding authorities for years.
The New York Times
Babies spur growth in Mexican-American population
Births have overtaken immigration as the driving force behind the growth of the U.S.’s Mexican-American population. Between 2000 and 2010, about 7.2 million babies of Mexican heritage were born in the U.S., while 4.2 million Mexicans immigrated to the U.S.
The New York Times
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Larry the cat: how chief mouser 'won the nation's hearts'Why Everyone's Talking About Downing Street says resident pet is 'healthy' despite reports of contingency plans for his death
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The daily business briefing: October 2, 2023
Business Briefing Late-night talk shows return after writers end strike, student loan payments resume, and more
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Withdrawing benefits: 'war on work shy' or 'matter of fairness'?
Talking Point Jeremy Hunt to boost minimum wage while cracking down on claimants who refuse to look for work
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Smartphone collisions, and more
feature Fifty-three percent of all adult mobile-phone owners have been banged into because someone was peering at their smartphone.
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Partisan commencement speeches?, and more
feature No Republican or conservative has been invited to make the commencement speech this year at any of the 50 top U.S. liberal arts colleges.
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Food stamp benefits soar, and more
feature The government spent $74.6 billion on food stamp benefits last year, up from $30.4 billion in 2007.
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Prime-time TV gets racier, and more
feature The networks’ new trick is to show fully naked characters with their breasts, buttocks, and/or genitals pixelated.
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A warm start to the year, and more
feature The U.S. just experienced the warmest start to a year since records began, in 1895.
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Jersey Shore captures 8.45 million, and more
feature The season premiere of MTV’s Jersey Shore was viewed by 8.45 million people, more than the average audiences of network news broadcasts on ABC and CBS.
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Wal-Mart's jump in midnight sales, and more
feature Wal-Mart says its stores see a jump in midnight sales on the first of each month, when cash-strapped shoppers receive their monthly government benefits.
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Over 40 million Americans receive food stamps, and more
feature For the first time, the number of Americans receiving food stamps topped 40 million in March.