Topic: United States
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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10 best books of January, according to Amazon's editors
Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson shares her thoughts about the Amazon staff picks for the 10 best books of January 2013.
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Fiscal deal will cost you: 8 tax changes
[Editor's note: This story was updated on Jan. 2 at 10:00 am ET.]
Congress has passed a fiscal deal that averts the worst of the tax increases under the "fiscal cliff." But most Americans will still end up paying more in federal taxes. Here are eight tax changes under the fiscal deal that may hit your pocketbook:
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Sports in 2012: here are some Monitor highlights
It’s impossible to list all the records set in 2012, but here’s a short rundown of some heralded highlights, plus 20 of our favorites, including some you might have missed.
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How much do you know about US entitlement programs? Take our quiz.
The push to reform entitlement programs is at the heart of debates about the future of the US budget. They include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare).
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9 chats with top true-crime authors
In 2012, writers pondered murder and mayhem across the globe and across centuries.
All Content
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Sandy Hook students will resume classes
Sandy Hook Elementary School, the site of the December 14 shootings, is still an active crime scene accessible only to police. Survivors of the shootings will begin classes at the nearby former Chalk Hill Middle School on Thursday.
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'Fiscal cliff' deal: Will the Tea Party find renewed strength?
Some, including members of the Tea Party, are dissatisfied with the recently agreed upon deal relating to the fiscal cliff. Tea Party groups are looking toward the next election in hopes of replacing less conservative Republican members of Congress with Tea Party candidates.
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Judge dismisses case involving targeted killing of Americans overseas
The ACLU and New York Times had sought access to government documents explaining the legal justification for a US drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen and suspected Al Qaeda operative in Yemen.
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One million workers get pay boost as 10 states adjust minimum wage
Nine states adjust minimum wage yearly to account for inflation and a tenth passed a new law raising minimum wage. Experts still debate minimum wage's impact on the economy.
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Quadrantid meteor shower: Will moon wash out the show?
Quadrantid meteor shower-watchers will have to deal with a three-quarter-full moon, but the event peaks overnight Wednesday, meaning the show will go on.
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Opinion: Love it or loathe it, the 'fiscal cliff' deal brought compromise
As unsatisfying as the bargain is in substance, its achievement reaffirms an essential element of America’s democracy – the need for compromise. That aspect of the 'fiscal cliff' deal will be needed as the US approaches the debt ceiling and debate on spending cuts and tax reform.
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Horizons
A very techy Christmas: 50 million new phones and tablets activatedChristmas week saw a record 50 million iOS and Android devices activated, and more than 1.7 billion apps downloaded, according to analytics firm Flurry. On Christmas Day alone 17.4 million new devices were unwrapped.
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'Fiscal cliff' deal: What will it mean for you?
Some aspects of the fiscal cliff deal are well-known – such as rising tax rates on the rich. But, actually, everyone will be paying more taxes. Here's a look at the deal's details.
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The Monitor's View: Who forced a 'fiscal cliff' deal? Try foreign investors.
Washington is now all too aware that foreign creditors and investors will punish it for any macroeconomic mismanagement. American competitiveness was at stake in the fiscal cliff negotiations.
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10 best books of January, according to Amazon's editors
Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson shares her thoughts about the Amazon staff picks for the 10 best books of January 2013.
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Energy Voices
Unconventional wisdom: 5 possible energy surprises for 2013Cobb lists potential surprises in the energy world that conventional wisdom has judged rather unlikely to happen in 2013.
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'Fiscal cliff' deal: After rush of relief, debt ceiling clash already looms
The fiscal cliff deal passed the House after Republicans broke ranks over taxes. But spending cuts loom large in the next clash, over raising the debt ceiling, which Obama says is non-negotiable.
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Robert Reich
After the fiscal cliff comes the debt ceilingThe battle over the fiscal cliff was only a prelude to the coming battle over raising the debt ceiling – Reich writes – a battle that will likely continue through early March, when the Treasury runs out of tricks to avoid a default on the nation’s debt.
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How Obama won and lost in 'fiscal cliff' deal
President Obama would have looked incompetent if the nation had gone over the fiscal cliff. But now he faces three more cliffs early in 2013, and those could limit his scope.
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5 female teachers killed: Pakistan aid work imperiled
The daylight killing of the five teachers and two health workers stokes worries that public health campaigns will suffer and lead to a resurgence of diseases like polio.
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Stock markets leap after 'fiscal cliff' compromise, but problems lurk
The House of Representatives passed the budget bill late Tuesday night, a contentious exercise because many Republicans had wanted a deal that did more to cut government spending.
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Taylor Swift, Psy perform for New Year's Eve in Times Square
Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, and others performed for New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square in New York City.
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Is Russia trying a dead whistle-blower because of a US law?
The US recently enacted legislation targeting those Russian officials involved in the 2009 death of whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, spurring an angry reaction from the Kremlin.
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In Gear
2013 Ford Fusion Energi gets best fuel efficiency rating for US sedans2013 Ford Fusion Energi becomes America's most fuel-efficient sedan, with a rating of 108 MPGe in city driving, Ingram writes. At $39,495 in SE trim, the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi costs $350 more than the Chevy Volt.
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Opinion: India gang rape: Why US should ratify UN treaty on women's rights
The gang rape and death of a student in India, which has sparked protests there to change cultural views on women, should remind the United States why it’s high time to ratify the UN 'bill of rights' for women. American criticism of the treaty is based on misconceptions.
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Chapter & Verse
Neil Gaiman says this summer may mark his last book-signing tourNeil Gaiman explained via his blog that the very long lines for his book signings – and the lengthy delays for readers – mean that the experience is "no fun for anybody."
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Chapter & Verse
'Fiscal cliff': banished for overuseLake Superior State University's 2012 list of terms that need to be removed from the English language was topped by 'fiscal cliff,"
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In Gear
Zipcar bought by Avis for $500M cashZipcar, the popular car-sharing service, will be bought by rental car company Avis in a cash deal worth nearly $500 million. The merger will help Zipcar meet high weekend demand and should boost Avis' earnings.
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Sperm donor fights Kansas request to pay child support
Kansas is trying to force a sperm donor to pay child support for the child conceived through artificial insemination for a lesbian couple now having trouble supporting it.
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$1 million Apple heist: Thieves hit Paris store on New Year's Eve
$1 million Apple heist at the flagship store in Paris was a 'well prepared' operation, police said. Four armed thieves used the commotion around New Year's Eve festivities in downtown Paris to carry out the $1 million Apple heist.
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