# World

Logging Plummets in Monarch Butterfly Mexico Reserve

Good news for the Monarch butterflies and their wintering grounds in central Mexico: The clearing of forests used by the butterflies has dropped to just over one acre's worth of trees, compared to the hundreds of acres lost annually in the past.

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World's Richest Man to Helm Rescue for Crime-weary Acapulco

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim will spearhead a project to rescue the Pacific port of Acapulco, a once glamorous haunt of Hollywood stars that has lately become mired in violent crime. Slim, the world's richest man will be the president of a council that will pool funding for new hotel developments.

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At Last, a Year for State Budgets When the Sky is Not Falling

After a four-year run during which states had to close budget gaps of historic proportions, the term "surplus" is finally making a modest comeback in capitals. According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, at least 45 states saw their revenues increase over the past year. Enough economic vital signs are headed in the right direction that the mood in most states is encouraging, and some legislatures will start reversing the most painful of their recent cuts as soon as this year.

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US Air Pollution Hits 10-year Low, Report Finds

A report by the American Lung Association finds that air pollution has fallen to its lowest levels since the group began collecting data in 2000. The nonprofit organization credits the Clean Air Act for the cleanup of major air pollution sources, such as coal-fired power plants and the fleet of older, dirtier trucks.

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Unstoppable! The Rise and Rise of Britain's Green Buildings

Orlando Bloom has an eco-house; Prince Charles has built a sustainable home, and now a major developer plans to build 500 eco-homes in Devon. Despite the economic gloom, the green way of building has never been more popular - 7,000 projects last year, a number that has more than doubled since 2009.

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New York Beekeepers Quadruple

The number of beekeepers in New York City has quadrupled since the ban on keeping bees was lifted two years ago, figures show. Hives are now on skyscraper rooftops, in community gardens, and school backyards across the five boroughs. Locally produced food growers pushed hard for the ban to be overturned.

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New Smartphones, Including iPhone 5, Less Toxic Than Older Models

Recent models including Apple's iPhone 5 and the Samsung Captivate are less hazardous than old handsets, according to a new chemical analysis. The new study offers encouraging results of tests on handsets which measured the amount of toxins these gadgets would unleash into landfills if not properly recycled.

# World

How Brazil's Good Governance Created High Growth, Political Freedom, and Greater Income Equality

Brazil has become one of globalization's success stories. A rigorous battle against corruption and poverty has ushered in new freedoms, growth, and increasing equality, winning the country respect around the world. (Der Spiegel)