States that are failing their residents

Ohio has a 96% passing rate on its state reading test, but matriculates students whose reading skills are worse than 75% of the nation's kids.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/ohios-third-grade-reading-test-miss-goal/

South Carolina leads the country in domestic abuse, often reinforced by religious mysoginy and lack of public services for victims.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/04/20/401030909/post-and-courier-of-charleston-s-c-wins-pulitzer-for-public-service

Some interesting links

Kinda sad, but by no means particular to the UK: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/08/police-fear-rise-domestic-violence-world-cup

Though I wonder if dom. violence rates are actually rising over time, or if reporting is just increasing (the latter being a positive change I suppose).

Hyundai has a different take on the emotional effects of a big football win on a culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7v5pf0aN2Q 

And the narrative seems to be backed by some science at least! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2526937/Sporting-success-DOES-trigger-baby-booms-Spains-birth-rate-rose-16-Barcelonas-2009-Champions-League-victory.html

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Also about the ISIS stuff: the CIA has been training "non-extremist, non-jihadist" Syrian rebels in Jordan in unconventional war tactics to fight the Assad regime. Some folks (ironically both on the far left and far right) are accusing our gov't of not screening those folks very well (a hard task) and inadvertently training fighters who later joined ISIS, J. Al-Nusra, and other extremist groups.

Granted I couldn't find reputable news sources that covered this story, but I can imagine that it's been hard to verify claims and apply journalistic rigor. However, it wouldn't be the first time (Viet Minh, Mujahadeen, Contras, right wing Cubans, etc.).

http://rt.com/op-edge/168064-isis-terrorism-usa-cia-war/
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/mi6-the-cia-and-turkeys-rogue-game-in-syria-9256551.html

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Yet another red flag associated with fracking: http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=14-P13-00026&segmentID=2

In the Marcellus Shale in the East, fracking is surfacing radioactive rock material from deep underground, and wastewater is showing very high levels of radium-226 (associated with bone cancers, half-life of 5K years). Fortunately for the drillers, they got an environmental exception, because for everyone else - radioactive water needs special disposal. But in PA, it's treated the same as household sewage.