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The most comprehensive survey on female genital mutilation and cutting finds the practice has decreased in more than half of the countries where it persists. But in parts of eastern Africa, about 90 percent of girls still undergo the abusive procedure.

U.S. baseball agents say it is increasingly common for smugglers to help Cuban baseball players make their way off the island. According to the agents, it's been going on since the 1990s and has picked up in recent years.

Texas is one of several states that have passed laws tightening standards for clinics and doctors who provide abortions. Proponents say the laws make the procedure safer. But abortion rights advocates say the tightened requirements are unnecessary and driven by ideology, not safety concerns.

Disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner is apologizing again after the publication of still more lewd messages and photos that Weiner exchanged online with a woman who is not his wife. But Weiner says he is not dropping his campaign for mayor of New York City.

A growing share of Latino adults — now at 82 percent — are turning to English-language news sources, while fewer consume news in Spanish, a new survey says. Researchers say demographic shifts among Latinos explain the trends.

Commentator Frank Deford says our educational system should care more about encouraging good black students instead of using good black athletes.

Serious mental illness can take a toll — not only on the person experiencing the symptoms but on family members, too. The Bell family still struggles with the loss of Homer, their son and brother, who recently killed himself after living with schizophrenia for 30 years.

In Chicago, there's a 2.5 mile roadway that the city's mayor calls the "Bat Cave." It's been around for more than a decade but it's more secret than public. The mini-highway was designed to ferry conventioneers to Chicago's massive McCormick Place convention hall. It's also a favorite of politicians with just the right amount of clout. Now, some want taxis to have access too.

A natural gas well off the Louisiana coast has caught fire after a blowout forced the evacuation of 44 workers. It is unclear how long it will take to extinguish the blaze.

A photo shows the former president holding the two-year-old son of a member of his security detail. Patrick is undergoing treatment for leukemia.