The Short List: Ferguson; Taylor Swift's new album; cost of a child in 2013
Ferguson on fire: Curfews, chaos, the National Guard, and an attorney general dispatched
A lot has gone down in Ferguson the last couple of days. The fatal shooting of unarmed black teen Michael Brown by a white cop this month has fueled violence and chaos in the Missouri city. Here's the latest: 1) Obama is sending Attorney General Eric Holder to Ferguson to monitor the unrest. 2) Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Monday dropped the midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew that had been in effect the last two nights. It wasn't working. 3) Sunday night was chaos, with protesters shooting at police, throwing Molotov cocktails at officers, and looting businesses, so now the National Guard is going in to help keep order. 4) Michael Brown's family did a private autopsy and on Monday lawyers for Brown's family released details that indicated he was shot six times. Only one of the shots was fatal. You can catch up on all the developments in our timeline.
Taylor Swift announces new album
Tay-Tay's going pop. Taylor Swift debuted her new single Shake It Off Monday during her live stream on Yahoo. It's her first single from her much-anticipated fifth album, which she says is her "first documented, official pop album," to be called 1989. You can watch the music video here.
Americans say we need to help Iraq
Just how far should the U.S. go in Iraq? Americans are saying more and more that we have a responsibility to help the country. A Paste BN/Pew Research Center Poll found a shift of opinion in recent weeks: 44%-41% of those surveyed say the U.S. bears a responsibility to "do something" about the violence. Why the shift? It could have something to do with all the media coverage of the plight of thousands of Yazidi refugees who fled advancing Islamic State forces only to become trapped on Mount Sinjar, at risk of dying from exposure, hunger and thirst. On Thursday from Martha's Vineyard, President Obama announced that U.S. airstrikes and humanitarian aid were helping.
USDA says $245,340, but raising a child actually costs $1.4M
Bundle of joy? Or bundle of debt? The Agriculture Department said Monday that a middle-income family with a child born in 2013 can expect to spend about $245,340 for food, shelter and other expenses up to age 18. That's up 1.8% from 2012. Paste BN's Matt Krantz says it's actually more than that, if you think about where you could have put that money instead. Let's say rather than spending $245,340 on a child the day the child was born, that money was put into the Index Fund Advisors' moderate portfolio. The long-term return of this portfolio has been 10.4% a year. That means the $245,340 that would have been spent on a child would be worth $1.45 million in 18 years. The USDA has been releasing its report since 1960. No data on how it's affected birthrates. Kidding.
Almost 8,000 Navy chiefs face ax, which means a good day for junior sailors
It's a quality cut. The Navy doesn't have any mandatory cuts to make, but they're looking at all of their senior personal to see if they're doing a good job. If they're not, they'll get cut, and younger sailors will get to move up. Because the Navy's advancements are based on vacancy at the next level, no openings means no advancements. Retirement-eligible active and reserve chief petty officers — E-7 through E-9 — will be reviewed by the board.
A third of people have nothing saved for retirement
If you have nothing saved for retirement, you're not alone. But you are in trouble. A new survey finds a third of people (36%) in the U.S. have nothing saved for retirement. Most people say day-to-day living is just too expensive. The survey's research director says at the very least, join a 401(k) plan if your employer offers one and make sure to contribute at least enough to receive the maximum employer match.
Extra Bites
Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.
It's a pool party. But only if you have four legs.
The story you need to tell people who are always complaining about their phone bills: Sprint has announced new pricing plans.
ICYMI: ABC News reporter Elizabeth Vargas returned to a recovery center to be treated for alcohol dependency. She was treated last fall. Sending good vibes.
This is a compilation of stories from across Paste BN.
Contributing: Nanci Hellmich, Brian Mansfield, Donna Leinwand Leger, Susan Page, David Jackson, Yamiche Alcindor, John Bacon, Paste BN; Christopher Doering, Gannett Washington Bureau; Mark D. Faram, Navy Times