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Taxes have been part of health plan costs for decades, but they're not usually itemized on customers' bills. But a leading insurer in Alabama has calculated its customers' shares of taxes being paid by the company under the Affordable Care Act.

It's easy to get discouraged by a constant stream of bad news about unemployment, crime, war and political dysfunction. You might think we humans can't do anything right. But good news: We can. Here are a few areas of real progress in the U.S. and around the world.

The Air Force says retiring the Cold War-era A-10 could help it balance its budget and focus on developing more versatile aircraft. But the military encounters resistance whenever it tries to mothball any weapon, and the case of the plane known as the Warthog is no exception.

In 2013, "you really feel as if directors are taking chances in their storytelling," says film critic David Edelstein. He loved the movie Her, and says the biggest surprises of the year were All Is Lost and Much Ado About Nothing. He also explains why 12 Years a Slave didn't make his top 10.

The use of marijuana for PTSD has gained national attention in the past few years as thousands of traumatized veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan have asked the federal government to give them access to the drug. Marijuana's active ingredient has been shown to calm the brain's fear circuits. Of course, there are drawbacks and side effects to contend with.

The ongoing war within the Republican Party pits the old-line forces of the establishment against the rising Tea Party populists, and while Democrats have seemed more united in recent years, they have schisms brewing between factions as well. Who manages these dynamics better may decide many of the close statewide races of 2014.

Stores and families keep putting up their Christmas decorations earlier and earlier each year. But some people still hold out for decorating on Christmas Eve. Martin Kaste has this audio postcard about the difficulties faced in trying to keep Christmas at bay until Christmas.

Refugees from Iraq, Nepal and the Congo are being introduced to the way Americans celebrate the holidays — and the way Americans consume electricity.

As the city tries to emerge from bankruptcy, the artwork in the Detroit Institute of Arts — a collection appraised at more than $850 million — might wind up on the auction block. But a federal judge mediating Detroit's bankruptcy has a plan that just might keep the art in the city — and reduce cuts to retirees' pensions.

Speaker of the House John Boehner's year began with members of his own party trying to oust him from the speakership. Thus began a year of rocky relations with the Tea Party wing of the House Republican caucus. But by year's end, Boehner was firmly in control of his gavel.