# USA

Finding "Lost Lots" to Make More Parks in LA

Over the last few years, Los Angeles and other cities have been moving to convert vacant lots, underused city streets, utility corridors, traffic medians and alleys into small parks, plazas, bikeways and pedestrian corridors so urban residents have green havens within a 10-minute walk.

# USA

Los Angeles Violent Crime Rate Lowest in 40 Years

The number of homicides in the United States' biggest cities continue to hit record lows again in 2013 with murder rates dropping to levels not seen in nearly a half century. Los Angeles, the second-biggest U.S. city, reported this week that murders and other serious crimes dipped to more than 40-year lows in 2013. Total […]

# USA

U2's Bono Salutes Military Heroes in D.C.

Tina Brown, editor in chief of Newsweek, kicked off her first annual Hero Summit last week in Washington to bring together military heroes and exceptional civilians for meaningful dialogues and information-sharing.

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D.C. Restaurants Offer Freebies to Furloughed Federal Workers

To ease the strain on federal employees going unpaid during the government shutdown, numerous restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area began offering free sandwiches or discounted food to furloughed workers last week.

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Teens Trained as 'Young Doctors' Help Tackle D.C.'s Poverty Problem

"Washington, D.C. has one of the highest concentrations of graduate degrees in the country. It's a place full of smart, wealthy and educated people. It also has the highest poverty rate of any U.S. city, and the youth feel it especially badly," says CNN. Some D.C. startups and local organizations like Young Doctors DC have stepped forward to fill the void.

# USA

Chicago Anti-gang Efforts Tame Street Violence

Chicago's overall crime rate fell last year to a level not seen since 1972, and the number of shooting incidents involving victims 16 and younger dropped 40 percent in 12 months, city officials say.

# USA

Veterans Ensure Safe Passage for Chicago Kids Walking To School

US Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are keeping youngsters safe on their walk to and from school in Chicago. Their peacekeeping efforts cut violent crime on the gang-ridden routes by 20% in the first couple of years.

# USA

13 Marines Returning From Afghanistan Upgraded to First Class

A group of Marines on their way home from Afghanistan got something they didn't expect after spending the better part of five days getting on and off planes as they tried to get from one side of the globe to another: cheers from a small crowd of police, a fire truck water salute and first-class plane tickets.