The winners and the losers

Loser: A 13-year-old disabled girl in Michigan was allegedly killed by her mother by a drug overdose. The girl had physical and mental disabilities and was abusive to her mother, police said. Days later, an Irving, Texas, mother was arrested in connection with the strangulation deaths of her children, ages 2 and 5. The 5-year-old was autistic and the toddler had other health problems, family members said. Although these cases are extreme and the "solutions" unacceptable, they illustrate the profound stress that caregivers of children with disabilities can experience. Friends, families and government agencies need to reach out to families in these circumstances so that caregivers do not burn out and they and their children are safe.

Winner: States can resume sending unemployment payments to millions of Americans after the Senate voted to restore lapsed benefits. These payments are a poor substitute for a job, but they are welcome relief, nonetheless, to some 2.5 million Americans who have been out of work for six months or longer and whose benefits lapsed.

Loser: China now exceeds the United States as the world's top energy consumer — a milestone that arrived years ahead of forecasts. China's increase in energy use is indicative of its economic rise. Its growing energy demands present challenges in terms of supply, and diplomatic relations with rogue nations rich in oil and gas reserves as well as global air quality. Long sensitive to its status as the world's worst polluter, Chinese officials said the International Energy Agency's data were "unreliable."