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The rare daytime astronomical event, in which Venus can be seen as a tiny black dot crossing the sun, won't happen again until 2117. Andrea Wulf, author of Chasing Venus, explains how 18th-century astronomers used the event to calculate the distance between the Earth and the sun.

When Crichton died of cancer in 2008, he left behind an unfinished techno-thriller. Superb science-writer Richard Preston has completed Micro, the story of young scientists who get shrunk to a size smaller than ants when a nanotech invention is used for evil.

The sophistication of congressional speech-making is on the decline, according to the open government group the Sunlight Foundation. Since 2005, the average grade level at which members of Congress speak has fallen by almost a full grade.

From his first cooking apprenticeship at France's Grand Hotel de L'Europe to teaching home cooks how to perfect a cheese souffle on PBS, chef Jacques Pepin's career in food has spanned six decades. He culls his favorite dishes from his years in the kitchen in his new book, Essential Pepin.

"Millions of Americans — our neighbors, friends, family members — are still looking for jobs," the president says in his administration's annual report to Congress.

In a new autobiography, survivalist and television host Bear Grylls charts his journey from recalcitrant schoolboy to a spot in Britain's elite special forces, the SAS, and addresses the controversy surrounding his Discovery Channel show, Man vs. Wild.

Growth will remain low and consumers will be cautious as long unemployment stays high, economists say. And as long as consumers remain frugal, companies will be reluctant to hire aggressively. But is a modest rate of growth of 2 percent to 3 percent better for the U.S. in the long run?

Growth will remain low and consumers will be cautious as long unemployment stays high, economists say. And as long as consumers remain frugal, companies will be reluctant to hire aggressively. But is a modest rate of growth of 2 percent to 3 percent better for the U.S. in the long run?

The New Jersey city has surpassed its previous record for murders. City officials, who say the unionized police force has too many perks, turn to the county to provide a larger and cheaper force.

A scientist has used new genetic-sequencing technologies to identify the strain of anthrax in the 2001 attacks, the cause of anthrax contamination in European heroin, and the source of a cholera outbreak in Haiti.

An Arab League monitoring mission is visiting Homs and Hama, major centers of Syria's anti-government uprising, and witnessed violence firsthand. Activists say at least 40 protesters were killed by security forces Thursday. The presence of the monitors has emboldened the protesters, who are chronicling their struggle in videos.

An Arab League monitoring mission is visiting Homs and Hama, major centers of Syria's anti-government uprising, and witnessed violence firsthand. Activists say at least 40 protesters were killed by security forces Thursday. The presence of the monitors has emboldened the protesters, who are chronicling their struggle in videos.