Only 17.8% of U.S. adults smoked last year, the CDC found. That’s the lowest rate since the government began keeping track of the behavior in 1965. The actual number of smokers in 2013 was 42.1 million. Despite fewer people smoking, the habit continues to be the leading cause of premature death in the country. Smoking kills 480,000 Americans each year and results in $289 billion in annual health costs and lost productivity.   read more

He said the nation needed to keep its police forces from turning into military units. But in the end President Obama is unwilling to slow down or stop the transfer of military gear to law enforcement agencies. Instead, he just wants to tweak the programs that help militarize the nation's police. “It is possible to constrain these programs with oversight, but it doesn’t seem like many people are really wanting to do it,” said Cato's Trevor Burris.   read more

The UN panel found problems with American rules of interrogation, police shootings of unarmed African-Americans and the use of solitary confinement in prisons. It criticized the Obama administration for not fully investigating the use of torture by the CIA during the George W. Bush presidency and cited the holdup of the Senate report into CIA torture and detention of detainees. The continued use of Guantanamo Bay to imprison foreign residents without trial was also discussed in the report.   read more

Ayman al Zawahiri, the current leader of al-Qaeda, has been the target of U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan at least twice. A total of 76 children and 29 adults have died for the sake of getting al Zawahiri, but he’s still alive. Still, the body count there is less than in the six attempts to kill Qari Hussain, a deputy commander of the Tehrike-Taliban Pakistan. One hundred twenty eight people, including 13 children, died before the CIA was able to kill Hussain.   read more

What’s your life worth? According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), if you fly in a private plane, you’re worth only $1 million. Other agencies have different, mostly higher, valuations on human lives. The Environmental Protection Agency values lives at $3.3 million and the Department of Transportation says a human is worth $9.1 million.   read more

“I was raised with this idea that ultimately you have to do the right thing. It was just simple things like—you can’t take money from people. We are talking about pension plans and retirement funds, things people are relying on at a time when they don’t have another income. I just grew up with a value that a lot of people have—and that is, it’s OK to do well, but you can’t do that at other people’s expense.”   read more

A report by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that 1 in 8 Americans give up essentials such as food or burn through savings because they’re trapped in High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). Twenty-three percent of those with HDHPs skipped a medical test or treatment recommended by their doctor, and 29% didn’t see a doctor when they became ill or injured.   read more

It perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise that Officer Darren Wilson will not stand trial for killing Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Of 6,700 on-duty incidents of police being charged with a crime, only 41 officers were indicted over seven years for murder. The FBI reported 2,718 justified homicides by police from 2004 to 2011. The lack of police prosecutions is “one factor that enters into the perception of African Americans that the police are not on their side,” said Prof. Samuel Walker.   read more

Starting late next year, restaurant chains and movie theaters will have to list calorie counts on their menus. FDA officials are hoping the publishing of calorie totals will help Americans make smarter decisions about what they eat when going out and perhaps shrink some waistlines along the way. Nutrition professor Marion Nestle was surprised to learn that the rules went beyond what she and others expected, applying them to alcoholic beverages listed on restaurant menus.   read more

In May, President Obama said American troops in Afghanistan would cease their “combat mission” by January 1. Now, come January 1, U.S. soldiers will engage in “combat operations,” marking the 14th consecutive year of fighting. So much for the war ending. The only real difference will be the size of U.S. forces. Instead of tens of thousands of soldiers, the U.S. will station only 9,800 to fight al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. Ground forces, manned aircraft and drones may be put to use.   read more

The case, King v. Burwell, is challenging the provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows the federal government to provide financial assistance to people who buy insurance through the 37 state insurance exchanges operated by the federal government. If the plaintiffs are successful, the court’s decision could eliminate these subsidies, which currently help 13 million people afford their coverage.   read more

As part of broader immigration reforms, the Obama administration announced Thursday that the Secure Communities program, which mandated that local law enforcement submit biometric information on those suspected of being undocumented immigrants to the federal government, is going away. In its place will be the Priority Enforcement Program, which specifies that those held must be likely deportable or have a removal order in effect against them.   read more

“In 2006, Bush gave a 17-minute speech that was televised by all three networks that was about deploying 6,000 National Guard troops to the border. Obama is making a 10-minute speech that will have a vastly greater impact on the issue. And none of the networks are doing it,” said a senior administration official. The only broadcast networks that carried Obama's immigration talk live throughout the U.S. were Spanish language Univision and Telemundo.   read more

At least three people have died in New York State from shoveling snow during the extreme storm that hit the region—a higher fatality count than the number of people who have died from Ebola in the U.S. Once the storm ends, the media coverage of it will melt away. But the reporting frenzy over Ebola could continue indefinitely. However, shoveling snow is a bigger health problem for Americans than Ebola. Dr. Franklin said the annual number of deaths from shoveling snow might be close to 200.   read more

While some would argue the salaries of the chief executives were too high, the point of the Institute’s report is the many tax credits, loopholes and deductions that allow businesses to reduce their tax bill and in some cases, get money back from the federal government. Boeing had the highest CEO salary of the seven, with $23.3 million going to top man James McNerney Jr. Meanwhile, the aircraft manufacturer and major government contractor enjoyed an $82 million refund from the IRS.   read more

"Potential modern slavery cases were reported in fifty states” in 2013. Most of those in the U.S. reside in slave-like conditions because of prostitution or financial debts, and they can be found in many areas of society. “The report explains that slaves are forced to perform domestic work and home healthcare, they work in the food industry, as well as in construction, agriculture, nursing, factories and garment-manufacturing, among other sectors.”   read more