Self-awareness, after Donald Trump attacked conservative pundits George Will, Jonah Goldberg, and Stephen Hayes for mocking his Republican presidential candidacy, calling them “boring” and “dumb as a rock” and their publications “dying.” Said Trump: “The weakness of conservatives is that they destroy each other.”
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A Pennsylvania girl’s Sweet 16 party was ruined after her celebration was showered with poop, apparently dumped from a passing airplane. Jacinda Cambray and 40 guests were partying in her family’s backyard when the brown liquid began raining down. “We’d just gotten done with the cake, thank God,” said Cambray’s sister, Kristie Rogy. “Because within two minutes something fell from […]
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Number of square miles of seabed in international waters that were under contract for mining operations in 2000: 0 That are today: 463,323
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Percentage of American 16- and 17- year-olds who use text messaging who say they do so while driving: 34 Percentage of adults who do: 47
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The United States costs of military and nation-building activities in Afghanistan and Iraq since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, is approaching half a trillion dollars – nearly the same cost as the 13-year-long Vietnam War.
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Americans drink far less today than our predecessors did. In 1830, the average American drank the equivalent of 7.1 gallons of pure alcohol per year. In 2013, by comparison, the average American drank the equivalent of 2.34 gallons of pure alcohol.
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Percentage of Americans and Chinese, respectively, who believe their government is “on the side of average citizens”: 12, 80 Who believe their government is “on the side of corporations”: 73, 17
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Number of U.S. States that allow the death penalty: 31 Proportion of U.S. police departments that are using body cameras: 1 in 3
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Number of deaths in traffic accidents for every 100,000 vehicles on the road in developed nations: 11 In Ethiopia: 3,865
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52: Number of unprovoked shark attacks in the U.S. last year (compared with 20 elsewhere in the world). None were fatal. 28: Number of attacks in Florida, the most of any state. Runners-up were Hawaii (seven), South Carolina (five), California (four) and North Carolina (four). 65%: Percentage of attacks involving surfers (or people doing other board sports); 32% involved swimmers. The rest involved […]
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