Topic: North America

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One World Trade Center and the four other tallest buildings in America

The new One World Trade Center tower is taking over as New York City’s tallest from the Empire State Building. But it’s not the country’s tallest. Here are the five tallest buildings in the country.
MLB Opening Day: Looking back at 100 years of baseball history

To get a sense of the historic arc Major League Baseball has taken over just the past 100 years, hop on our time machine and review some of its key news and developments at 10-year intervals, beginning in 1912.
Censored: 5 plays and novels banned around the globe

Censorship of the arts has a long history, from ancient Greece to present-day Thailand. Here is a list of five plays and novels banned, for a variety of reasons, in regions across the globe.
'The Hunger Games': a quick guide for the uninitiated

Wondering what the commotion over Suzanne Collins' 'Hunger Games' trilogy is all about? Here's a guide to help you catch up before the movie is released on March 23.
Academy Awards: Which Best Picture nominee won at the box office?

Nine films will be vying for the Best Picture trophy at the 84^th Annual Academy Awards, taking place Sunday at 8 pm. The Best Picture Oscar won’t be announced until late in the evening, but when it comes to the box office, clear winners and losers have already emerged. While there was no runaway blockbuster among this year’s Oscar nominations, the films nominated ran the gamut in terms of profitability: Some made back nearly four times their filming budgets, while others failed to break even. Here’s all nine Best Picture nominees, ranked according to profit margin. Box office numbers are based on worldwide earnings. Can you guess which film was the best bang for its buck?

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Consumer Energy Report
Energy development in the Arctic: the good and the bad

As Shell makes preparations to send offshore drilling rigs into the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas north of Alaska, it's important to walk through the history of energy exploration in the Arctic.
Brown calls on Harvard to 'correct record' on Elizabeth Warren's heritage

Sen. Scott Brown wants to know why Harvard listed his rival, Elizabeth Warren, as a native American professor. The issue has not tipped the race yet, but it could, the Brown camp says.
American jihadi in Somalia writes an autobiography

Omar Hammami, an American jihadist from Alabama, wrote a 127-page book about his experience fighting on the front lines with Somalia's Al Qaeda affiliate, Al Shabab.
Thousands gather for world's largest solar eclipse party (+video)

Solar eclipse party: Even a partial eclipse was enough to draw thousands to Folsom Field in Colorado to see the moon take a bite from the sun.
Football stadium to host world's largest solar eclipse party

The eclipse will occur in the afternoon and early evening on Sunday, during which time the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on the planet.
Who will fuel Facebook's growth? India.

Facebook users in India could surpass US totals in three years as its Internet population is set to triple. The challenge for Facebook: average revenue per person is just $1.79 in Asia vs. $9.51 in North America.
Horizons
Samsung unveils the Galaxy S III

Samsung unveiled its latest flagship Android phone at a "Mobile Unpacked" event in London on Thursday. The handset features an 8-megapixel camera and some nifty "natural interaction" features, all running on "Ice Cream Sandwich," the latest Android operating system.
GM stock: Earnings down. Outlook cautious.

GM stock fell in Thursday trading after the company released a cautious outlook for North America, which so far this year has buoyed sales and GM stock.
Were dinosaurs in decline before the asteroid?

A recent study shows that larger herbivorous dinosaurs were becoming less diverse before the mass extinction.
Some dinosaurs were declining before asteroid struck, say scientists (+video)

By the time that giant meteor collided with our planet at the end of the Cretaceous, some dinosaur species were already heading toward extinction, new research indicates.
Latin America Monitor
Interpol launches anti-piracy operation across the Americas

There is evidence that drug trafficking organizations in countries including Mexico and Colombia have moved into counterfeiting, writes guest blogger Hannah Stone.
One World Trade Center and the four other tallest buildings in America

The new One World Trade Center tower is taking over as New York City’s tallest from the Empire State Building. But it’s not the country’s tallest. Here are the five tallest buildings in the country.
Amazon stock surges on blowout earnings report

Amazon stock got a boost from the company's huge profits in the first part of the year, led by the runaway success of the Kindle Fire tablet. Amazon stock rose $28.01 in late trading.
Obama slow jam on 'Fallon' just a taste of 'epic' social media war ahead

President Obama's slow jam on 'Jimmy Fallon' shows how candidates will try to become part of clips that will be passed around on social media. A huge social media effort by MoveOn.org also shows how Election 2012 may play out online.
Keep Calm
Good Reads: On America's limits, Middle Eastern feminism, Indian authors

Some of the best long-form journalism this week deals with America's foreign policy limitations, sexual politics in the Middle East, African stereotypes, and an Indian publishing boom.
Hunger Games and Olympics spawn new generation of archery fans

The Hunger Games heroine, Katniss – and the coming Olympics – have created a boom in the archery business, as all across the country a new generation of young archery enthusiasts polish their prowess with the bow and arrow.
On Earth Day, Canada's native Innus march to save their land, identity

The Quebec government is opening up its northern region to mining and energy companies, sparking concern among the native Innu, who fear they will lose their ancestral lands.
Mitt Romney addresses a touchy subject about his religion

Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer says Mitt Romney’s family 'came from a polygamy commune in Mexico.' That’s not the whole story about Romney’s Mormon ancestors, but it forces him to talk about his religion, which he’d rather not do.
Horizons
Diablo 3 beta throws open doors, this weekend only

Diablo 3, the much-anticipated fantasy game, is scheduled for launch in North America on May 15. In the meantime, you can get your hands on the Diablo 3 beta version.
Mexico's 'smoking mountain' lives up to its name (+video)

Mexican officials have raised the alert level for the volcano, Popocatépetl, as it spews ash and steam into the air and onto nearby communities.
Horizons
BlackBerry Curve 9220 looks to a new audience

RIM, the maker of the BlackBerry handset, hopes young Indian consumers will snap up the BlackBerry Curve 9220, a relatively inexpensive BlackBerry handset. 
Japanese tsunami debris to hit West Coast this year, sooner than expected

A new estimate suggests that debris from the Japanese tsunami will hit US coasts this year, not next year as previously thought. Who will lead the cleanup is still being worked out.
Tupac hologram: Coming to a stage near you? (+video)

Tupac hologram: A hologram of deceased rapper Tupac Shakur caused a big splash at the Coachella music festival. Dr. Dre may take the Tupac hologram on the road.
The New Economy
Currency move latest sign of China's transformation

China is transitioning away from being the world's discount manufacturer. But it will have to loosen its currency even more to avoid the pitfalls of development.  
'Iron Man 3' to have Chinese story line

'Iron Man 3' will be filmed in China, with Chinese business partners, and a Chinese story line, says Disney. Iron Man 3 will star Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle.