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Dallas Jessup produced "Just Yell Fire," a self-defense video for high school girls, in 2006.2
A number of recent investigations into alleged corruption by city officials in Washington, D.C. may get publicity because it's happening in the capital city of one of the world’s largest democracies. But local lawmakers and advocates for good governance say the city, while not perfect, is not awash in graft and fraud.3
Rosanne Skirble4
Elizabeth Arrott5
North Korea blasts its way into a club of nations with long-range missile capabilities. Four launches, three failures and, finally, success.6
Al Pessin7
The Internet has been abuzz with rumors that the world will end - or at least be transformed - on Friday, December 21, when a 5,125-year-old Mayan calendar comes to a close. But archeologists say the rumors are wrong: the ancient Mayans did not predict an apocalypse. 's Jerome Socolovsky went to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology in Philadelphia, which decided to have a little fun with the rumors.8
Suzanne Presto9
Henry Ridgwell10
Mil Arcega11
Kane Farabaugh12
June Soh13
Sebastian Meyer14
Elizabeth Lee15
Despite violent events like last week's school shootings in Connecticut, the crime rate in the United States has generally been falling, and serious crimes like murder and rape have been declining. In Los Angeles, better relationships between the police and community are making neighborhoods safer.16
Steve Baragona17
News18
Daniel Schearf19
News20
Elizabeth Lee21
William Ide22
Daniel Schearf23
Jeff Seldin24
Elizabeth Arrott25
Sharon Behn26
Scott Bobb27
Mary Morningstar28
Deborah Block29
Rosanne Skirble30
E-Commerce Challenges Traditional Stores31
Al Pessin32
Egypt is set to hold a referendum on a new constitution starting Saturday, a vote that has polarized the nation.33
Mike O'Sullivan34
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to hear a case involving laws that define marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Voters in several states approved same-sex marriage initiatives last month. And gay rights groups are now pushing harder to legalize same-sex marriage across the country and strike down other measures they say discriminate against gays and lesbians.35
Joana Mantey36
Carol Pearson37
Penelope Poulou38
Scott Bobb39
Elizabeth Arrott40
Elizabeth Arrott41
Peter Fedynsky42
James Brooke43
James Brooke44
Henry Ridgwell45
Anne Look46
The Islamist militant group al-Shabab in Somalia has lost much ground in recent months to African Union and government forces. But analysts warn that al-Shabab is fighting an increasingly sophisticated media war, and is actively recruiting foreign fighters to join its ranks.47
Penelope Poulou48
Al Pessin49
New US legislators, those taking office for the first time in January, are more diverse than at any other time in U.S. history. Barriers have been broken on ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. In fact, among the 200 Democratic representatives, women and those from various minority groups will outnumber straight white males.50
Heather Murdock51
President Barack Obama is campaigning again, this time for his plan to deal with a potential fiscal crisis.52
Sharon Behn53
Luis Ramirez54
Carol Pearson55
Al Pessin56
Mil Arcega57
James Brooke58
Katherine Cole59
Rosanne Skirble60
Faiza Elmasry61
Peter Fedynsky62
Gabe Joselow63
The high-tech company Google has a fleet of self-driving cars, by August they have logged 480,000 kilometers.64
Michael Bowman65
Faiza Elmasry66
Daniel Schearf67
Daniel Schearf68
Penelope Poulou69
Carol Pearson70
Chris Simkins71
Ugandan Immigrant Exercises Her Skills in US Capital72
Hilary Heuler73
Mil Arcega74
Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan spent much of his life in California, but residents in the Midwestern state of Illinois note proudly that he was born and raised there. He spent a brief period of his childhood in Hyde Park, on the South Side of Chicago, which is also President Barack Obama’s old neighborhood. As ’s Kane Farabaugh reports, a debate is under way about the historic importance of Reagan’s old home, which faces the wrecking ball to make way for an expansion of the University of Chicago’s medical campus.75
Kane Farabaugh76
Looming automatic austerity measures in the United States, the so-called “fiscal cliff," could have a major impact on the economic vitality of towns and cities across the nation. Municipalities fear automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that would take effect January 1, as well as other measures Washington has been debating to avert the fiscal cliff.77
Kane Farabaugh78
Mil Arcega79
Jerome Socolovsky80
Guita Aryan81
Scott Stearns82
Shoppers across the United States rushed to stores to take advantage of discounts during the traditional Black Friday shopping spree, the day after Thanksgiving. The annual event kicks off the Christmas shopping season, generates big profits for stores and sends bargain-hunting consumers into a frenzy.83
Same-sex couples are getting marriage licenses in Washington state, where voters approved gay marriage in November.84
Luis Ramirez85
Keeping his family's tradition alive is important to Richard Maxham, 23, a fifth-generation violin maker whose family started crafting the instrument more than a century ago.86
Margaret Besheer87
Kent Klein88
Carol Pearson89
The iPhone has become one of the most popular cellular phones in the United States. An 18-year-old student from the Los Angeles area is using his knowledge of the device to create his own business. It has gained the young entrepreneur national recognition.