Top three news stories 12/15/11
http://usanews.info/
- Census: Half of U.S. poor or low income: WASHINGTON - Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans — nearly 1 in 2 — have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income.
-Golden Globes amplify "The Artist": Silent movie "The Artist" painted a pretty picture at the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday, leading all movies with six nods overall including best film comedy or musical. Tied for second-place in Thursday's nominations are the 1960s racial tale "The Help" and George Clooney's Hawaiian family story "The Descendants." Both films are up for best drama, while Clooney was nominated for best actor and "The Help" earned acting slots for Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain.
-U.S. officially shuts down war in Iraq: After nearly nine years, 4,500 American dead, 32,000 wounded and more than $800 billion, U.S. officials formally shut down the war in Iraq — a conflict that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said was worth the price in blood and money, as it set Iraq on a path to democracy.

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