Is it better to live in a state with no income tax? It's a great question to ask -- especially while you pore over tax forms this year. Seven U.S. states currently don't have an income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. And residents of New Hampshire and Tennessee are also spared from handing over an extra chunk of their paycheck on April 15, though they do pay tax on dividends and income from investments.
The 9,800 troops in Afghanistan are just a fraction of the U.S. military across the globe. President Barack Obama announced Thursday that the U.S. will maintain the current number of troops in Afghanistan through most of 2016, decreasing to 5,500 by the end of next year, instead of removing most military personnel by the end of his presidency.
Over the course of the war since 2001, around 2,000 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan compared to the 5,000 gunfire victims in the Illinois city. Last weekend seven people were killed and 35 injured, while the weekend before eight were killed and 46 sustained injuries. Young victims: Six-year-old Aliyah Shell (left), was shot dead on her porch in March this year.