Re-enactors keep memory of black Civil War troops alive
SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C. - The role of black Civil War troops in gaining the freedom of black Americans was pushed to a distant corner of the national memory for decades. But the little-known story of the more than 200,000 black troops that served in the Union army is one that scattered groups of black re-enactors are dedicated to retelling as the 150th anniversary of the war approaches. More »
Re-entry program gives Muslims second chance
CHICAGO - Instead of stepping back into lifestyles that risk landing them in prison again, a handful of former inmates who embraced Islam behind bars are spending their days constructing green transitional homes in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. The construction crew is part of the Green Re-Entry Project that is converting four foreclosed or abandoned homes into certified green housing for Muslim converts coming out of prison. More »
Nation's economic woes jeopardize Dems' prospects
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Frustrated, discouraged and just plain mad, a lot people who have lost jobs - or know someone who has - now want to see the names of Democrats on pink slips. And that's jeopardizing the party's chances here in Ohio and all across the country in November's elections. More »
Report: Money can buy you happiness, to a point
WASHINGTON - They say money can't buy happiness. They're wrong. At least up to a point. People's emotional well-being - happiness - increases along with their income up to about $75,000, researchers report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For people making less than that, said Angus Deaton, an economist at the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University, "Stuff is so in your face it's hard to be happy. It interferes with your enjoyment." More »
