At the start of Christmas season, Pope Francis has sent a small piece of wooden relic reputed to be part of Jesus' manger after he was born to Bethlehem, traditionally known as Jesus' birthplace.

Coal miners will press members of Congress to fully restore a coal excise tax that supports miners diagnosed with black lung. The tax was cut more than 50% at the end of last year.

A top mine safety regulator testified before Congress that no new regulations are needed to protect workers from deadly silica dust, despite an epidemic of advanced black lung disease.

Fewer Chinese tourists have been visiting Hawaii, Arizona and other population destinations in recent years. The strong dollar has made travel more expensive, just as political tensions have grown.

More than 2,000 miners in Appalachia are dying from an advanced stage of black lung. NPR and Frontline have found the government had multiple warnings and opportunities to protect them, but didn't.

With a recent U.S. degree in hand, many international students are left to navigate the complicated immigration system by themselves.