Nation

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Booming medical pot sales concern officials
By William M. Welch, USA TODAY

Also

Small plane crashes in Indiana field
Hudson 'Miracle' pilots to reunite for N.Y. flight
Judge blocks parts of new Arizona abortion law
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World

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At least 99 dead in South Pacific tsunami
By Dan Nakaso, USA TODAY

Also

Top U.S. official at U.N. in Afghanistan fired
Indonesian officials: Earthquake leaves 75 dead
U.S.: Iraq budget shortfall poses security challenge
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Photo galleries

Day in Pictures
At the U.N.
Cars

Communities

Finance fraud
Top Democratic fundraiser gets 24 years in prison.
Wise guy
Washington, like Solomon, didn't 'crowd source' decisions.
Eagle candy
Coyotes aren't the only predators going after your pets.
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Swine flu

Opinion

Abusive overdraft charges target vulnerable customers
There's no justification for the way banks have manipulated overdraft fees to create huge profit centers that prey on the most vulnerable.
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Sharing in the USA

Want to get involved?
Find a charity near you, learn the do's and don'ts of donating and find out how to do good and get credit for it.

Special investigation:Toxic air and schools

Health risks stack up for students near industrial plants

In focus

Popularity
Poll numbers can affect president's hold on party.
Religion survey
See how numbers of faithful have fallen in 18 years.
War death toll
A closer look at the troops who lost their lives at war.
Best Value Colleges
Search the map for top 100 schools of 2009.

Blogs

The Oval
Tracking the Obama presidency.
On Deadline
Up-to-the-minute news and must-read stories from across the Web.
Faith & Reason
Join the conversation on religion, spirituality and ethics in the news.
USA TODAY On Politics
The news, the people, the process of all things political.
Higher education
Trends and money matters from the world of college.

On Deadline

News blog: Breaking news and must-read stories

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Health & Behavior

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By Mark Wilson, Getty Images
GAO report: Millions in fraud, drug abuse clogs Medicaid
By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY
As Congress debates the government's role in health care, a report out Wednesday finds that state and federal officials failed to detect...
washington | Comment | Recommend
Obama says $5B in grants will aid medical research
The government on Wednesday awarded $5 billion in grants that President Obama said would pay for research into cures for cancer and other...
health | Comment | Recommend
U.N.: 4 million people on AIDS drugs; 5 million still waiting
United Nations health officials estimate about 4 million people who need AIDS drugs worldwide are now getting them, according to a report...
health | Comment | Recommend
By Lara Neel, (Sioux Falls, S.D.) Argus Leader
Donations decline for non-profit patient guesthouses
By Jessica Leving, USA TODAY
Non-profit guesthouses and similar programs offering free lodging to families of the seriously ill are struggling to stay viable.

Religion

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By David Zentz, AP
Religious life won't be the same after recession
By Rachel Zoll, The Associated Press
Organized religion was already in trouble in the U.S. before the fall of 2008. Denominations were stagnating or shrinking, and...
religion | Comment | Recommend
New signs at Mormon plaza say anyone can be barred
New signs at a Mormon church-owned plaza in downtown Salt Lake City put visitors on notice: Anyone can be asked to leave for any reason.
religion | Comment | Recommend
By Santa Fabio, for USA TODAY
'Tuesdays With Morrie' author Mitch Albom keeps the 'Faith'
By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY
Mitch Albom, the sports columnist who rocketed up the best-seller list with inspirational books Tuesdays With Morrie and The Five People...

Education

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By Erik S. Lesser for USA TODAY
Driver's ed set for revival in public schools
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
Driver's education in public schools, which virtually disappeared a generation ago, could be staging a comeback.
education | Comment | Recommend
By Matt Rourke, AP
Gingrich, Sharpton launch school tour in Philly
The Rev. Al Sharpton and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich don't agree on much, but a meeting with a group of inner-city charter school...
education | Comment | Recommend
Over half of vets still waiting for G.I. Bill money
By Gregg Zoroya and Mary Beth Marklein, USA TODAY
The director of the VA Education Service office said about half of the 50,000 veterans owed money for tuition and expenses have been paid.

Science & Space

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'Flocking' behavior lands on social networking sites
By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY
The interconnected web of our friends, family, neighbors and acquaintances may dominate our lives more than we know, and the Internet is...
space | Comment | Recommend
By Mikhail Metzel, AP
Cirque du Soleil founder, astronauts head to space station
A spacecraft carrying Canadian circus tycoon Guy Laliberte and two crew mates lifted off from the Kazakh steppe on schedule Wednesday...
science | Comment | Recommend
By AFP/Getty Images
Skull piece thought to be Hitler's is from woman
By Pat Eaton-Robb, Associated Press
A piece of skull with a bullet hole through it that Russian officials claimed belonged to Adolf Hitler actually came from a woman,...

Offbeat

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Cat Fanciers' Association and American Kennel Club
Who's reigning, cats or dogs?
By Sharon L. Peters, Special for USA TODAY
The battle royal over which pet is best, dogs or cats, has moved from covert sniping to an all-out, online war of words.
offbeat | Comment | Recommend
Man who stole hot dog gets 18 months
A Massachusetts man who stole a hot dog from another man sitting under a tree in a park has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
offbeat | Comment | Recommend
1,400-pound bull drags officers down street
Police say a 1,400-pound (635-kilogram) bull that escaped from a northern New Jersey slaughterhouse dragged officers with a lasso down a...