Long live Louisianans?: East Baton Rouge Parish residents have a shorter life expectancy on average than the rest of the U.S.—by more than two years. Data analyzed by Axios shows the wide discrepancies in life expectancy in certain counties throughout the country. The U.S. average life expectancy is 78 years, while EBR Parish is 76 years. In fact, every single Louisiana parish has a lower life expectancy than the U.S. as a whole—a trend that stays true largely throughout the deep south. The coasts and upper midwest have higher-than-average life expectancy, while Summit County, Colorado has the highest in the country at 86 years. Citizens of Japan, Spain and Switzerland live longer on average—83 years—than all other countries. Check out the interactive from Axios.
Cast away: A tiny building with a blonde-haired, blue-tailed mermaid painted on the side of it has apparently drifted 200 miles from Florida to south of Louisiana, the Associated Press reports. The small green building, which was found floating in the ocean 180 miles south of Grand Isle, had been spotted in Key West, Florida. The Coast Guard says it broke free from its mooring without anyone aboard. In addition to the mermaid, the building had a sea turtle and octopus painted on the side. No one has yet claimed ownership of the vessel. AP has photo evidence of the mysterious structure.
Holidays come early: Good news for online shoppers this year: FedEx, in an effort to undercut its rival UPS, said today it won’t charge additional fees on most orders during the holiday season this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move comes amid a heated battle between the two firms for online customers, who are increasingly dominating the retail world. FedEx is gambling that it can cover the extra costs, the Journal says, during a period when daily volume can be double what it normally is. And if you’re trying to ship those golf clubs, don’t get too excited: FedEx will still charge extra fees for large and irregularly shaped items. Read more.
