The study’s authors collected data from traffic incidents and violations and car crashes (including fatal ones) recorded across the United States in which the likes of careless or reckless driving, speeding, and gun violence were contributing factors. This information was then used to rank each state on a normalized scale of 0–100 points, with each one then plotted on a map to reveal which states are the angriest behind the wheel. (Jones, Mental Floss)
Read Morendia will start counting its vast population in a mammoth exercise starting next year. The first census in 16 years will be conducted digitally and include controversial questions about caste for the first time since independence. The Home Ministry announced plans to conduct a two-stage count ending March 1, 2027, in a statement Wednesday night. (Roy, AP News)
Read MoreThis year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia attracted the lowest number of pilgrims for 30 years, excluding the Covid-19 pandemic period, according to figures released on Thursday. The annual Islamic pilgrimage attracted just 1,673,230 Muslims, the majority of them from outside Saudi Arabia, according to a post from the country’s Hajj Ministry on the social platform X. (Butt, Associated Press)
Read MoreThe Supreme Court says a Catholic charity in Wisconsin doesn’t have to pay unemployment taxes in one of a set of religious-rights cases the justices are considering this term. The Thursday ruling comes in a case filed by the Catholic Charities Bureau. The organization says the state violated the First Amendment’s religious freedom guarantee when it required the organization to pay the tax while exempting other faith groups. Wisconsin argues the organization doesn’t qualify for an exemption because its day-to-day work doesn’t involve religious teachings. (Whitehurst, ABC News)
Read MoreGambling has swallowed American sports culture whole. Until early 2018, sports betting was illegal under federal law; today, it’s legal in 39 states and Washington, D.C. (and easy enough to access through backdoor channels even in the states where it isn’t). Commentators analyze not just whether a team can win, but if they might win by at least the number of points by which they’re favored on betting apps. Nearly half of men younger than 50 now have an account with an online sports book, and Americans spent about $150 billion on sports wagers last year. (Kiros, The Atlantic)
Read MoreThe decision came two years after the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions programs in higher education and amid the Trump administration’s fierce efforts to root out programs that promote diversity. The ruling will place further pressure on employers and others to eliminate affirmative action and other initiatives that seek to provide opportunities to members of historically disadvantaged groups. (Liptak, The New York Times)
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