appears in the following:

Lead pipes have contaminated water for decades. Biden's new plan will replace them

Friday, December 17, 2021

The White House released an action plan to replace lead pipes and lead paint in the U.S. within the next decade. Lead contamination is known to have detrimental effects on the brain and kidneys.

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You may soon be able to renew your passport online, instead of sending in documents

Thursday, December 16, 2021

A new executive order from President Biden is designed to streamline the process for things like contacting the IRS, enrolling in Social Security online and, yes, renewing your passport.

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The largest city in the U.S. bans natural gas in new buildings

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Moving away from natural gas means that stoves and heat pumps will be powered by electricity instead, cutting down on carbon emissions. More than half of New York City's emissions come from buildings.

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Where things stand with the monthly expanded child tax credit payments

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Because an extension of the child tax credit is tied in with President Biden's Build Back Better social spending plan, it remains unclear whether the monthly payments will continue beyond this year.

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Southeast Asians are underrepresented in STEM. The label 'Asian' boxes them out more

Sunday, December 12, 2021

The way data on racial groups is typically collected in the U.S. has sidelined smaller Asian populations like Hmong, Lao and Filipino Americans for decades. Now, there are growing calls for change.

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Over 80 killed in tornadoes in central U.S.; Biden declares emergency in Kentucky

Saturday, December 11, 2021

A severe storm system caused scores of deaths and injuries and significant damage at a Kentucky candle factory, an Amazon facility in Illinois, a nursing home in Arkansas and many homes and buildings.

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READ: Key excerpts from the Supreme Court ruling on S.B. 8, the Texas abortion case

Friday, December 10, 2021

The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing abortion providers to challenge the restrictive Texas abortion law and dismisses a Justice Department case against the law. Here are excerpts from Friday's opinion.

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1 in 10 Americans say the COVID-19 vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs

Thursday, December 09, 2021

A new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core shows most Americans believe too many people are using religious beliefs as a reason to not get vaccinated.

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Charlottesville's statue of Robert E. Lee will soon be melted down into public art

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

The Swords Into Plowshares project, led by the Jefferson School American Heritage Center, a local Black-led nonprofit, involves the statute at the heart of the deadly Unite the Right rally in 2017.

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What we know about the young victims of the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan

Thursday, December 02, 2021

Oxford High School lost four young students in a shooting this week. The victims, many of them athletes on school teams, were between 14 and 17 years old.

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Women's Tennis Association suspends tournaments in China over concern about Peng Shuai

Wednesday, December 01, 2021

WTA Chairman Steve Simon said he is "greatly concerned" about the risks players and staff would face after the treatment of tennis star Peng, who says she was sexually assaulted by a Chinese official.

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1 in 3 people working at Australia's parliament are sexually harassed, a report finds

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

A new report details the stunning culture of sexual harassment and bullying in Australia's parliamentary offices. It comes after another wave of #MeToo protests rocked the country in March.

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As omicron spreads, studies suggest that travel bans alone don't do much good

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Public health experts warn that the rush to impose travel bans on southern African countries after the omicron variant was identified can work against scientific transparency.

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Omicron variant spreads to North America, Australia and more of Europe

Sunday, November 28, 2021

President Biden received a briefing from his medical task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said that "inevitably" the omicron variant will turn up in the U.S.

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The omicron variant spreads across Europe as new travel bans take effect

Saturday, November 27, 2021

Cases of the latest COVID variant of concern — first identified in South Africa — have been reported in the U.K., Germany, Italy and elsewhere. Travel from southern Africa is now restricted.

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Rittenhouse's defense renews focus on the case of a 17-year-old who killed her abuser

Monday, November 22, 2021

As a teenager in 2018, Chrystul Kizer shot and killed the man who sexually assaulted and trafficked her. Advocates say given the Rittenhouse verdict, a self-defense argument should work in her favor.

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Suspect in Waukesha Christmas parade attack had prior criminal record

Monday, November 22, 2021

Darrell Brooks Jr., 39, was charged earlier this month with recklessly endangering safety and battery when he ran over a woman with his car earlier this month.

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PHOTOS: The historic partial lunar eclipse around the world

Friday, November 19, 2021

The lunar event was the longest partial lunar eclipse in 580 years. Almost the entire moon — 99.1% — was cast under the earth's shadow.

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Jessica Watkins will be the first Black woman to live and work on the space station

Friday, November 19, 2021

Watkins will join the fourth SpaceX Crew next April on her way to entering the ranks of other history-making women at NASA like astronauts Mae Jemison and Sally Ride.

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Expect to pay more this year to stage your Thanksgiving feast

Thursday, November 18, 2021

The Farm Bureau's Thanksgiving report says the average cost of dinner for 10 people is $53.31. But don't cancel your meal yet: the cost for a turkey has already dropped since the survey was taken.

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