Mass Shooting Fatalities
At least 235 people have died in 75 mass shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre of 20 schoolchildren and six adults in December 2012.
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It was a bad week for . . .
. . . ordering a margarita, after heavy rains, tree disease, and cartel violence sent prices for Mexico’s limes soaring from to $14 a case to $100. “We don’t buy them [anymore],” said the owner of a San Antonio Mexican restaurant. “We substitute lemons.”
Read moreFood Stamp Benefits Spending Has Gone Up
The government spent $74.6 billion on food stamp benefits last year, up from $30.4 billion in 2007. With 15 percent of Americans now receiving food stamps, the program’s budget is equivalent to the combined budgets of the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and the Department of the Interior.
Read moreRedrawing Borders
Italy and Switzerland have agreed to redraw their border because global warming is melting the Alpine glaciers that mark their respective boundaries. The border had been fixed since 1861.
Read moreIndia’s Dangerous Smog Problem
Toxic air pollution in the Indian capital of Delhi has given some 2.2 million children irreversible lung damage, according to a 2010 study from the Kolkata-based Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute that surfaced this month. The report has raised fresh concerns in a country where carbon emissions are forecast to increase for decades.
Read moreSEAFLOOR SCRAPING
Bottom-trawling nets, which scrape up anything in their path in pursuit of fish, have left their mark on 20 million sq. mi. (52 million sq km) of seafloor.
Read moreVolcano Disaster
A volcano in the Galapagos Islands erupted for the first time in 33 years, threatening the unique ecosystem that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. The island is home to the world’s only colony of pink iguanas; officials said they were not in immediate danger.
Read moreCamels In Tights
A Middle Eastern company has unveiled a fetching new line of Lycra leotards for racing camels to improve their performance on the track. Camel racing is popular across the Arab world, and Abu Dhabi based firm Al-Shibla says its compression suits can give an animal an edge by boosting blood flow to muscles. But the company is also pitching its […]
Read moreHigh School Dropouts
Portion of high-school dropouts who say they left school to work: 1/4 Portion of those dropouts who earn less than $10,000 per year: 3/5
Read moreMilitary Bases
The Department of Defense has 562,000 military bases and facilities located around the world, which collectively cover 24.7 million acres—nearly the size of Virginia. Much of that space is now unused, but Congress has barred the Pentagon from conducting a detailed assessment out of fear that bases in home districts would be closed.
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