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as a small step for women's rights in Indonesia, where the government is secular and most people practice a moderate form of Islam.
• "We are living in a different era now," said Husein Muhammad of the National Commission on Violence Against Women. "... Now we have supporting laws and social media to bring severe consequences and social sanctions."
• Still, rights groups say the country remains far behind on many issues involving gender equality and violence. Rape cases often are not properly investigated, and victims are sometimes blamed.
• ___

• WASHINGTON (AP) -- Persistently high unemployment. A sluggish economy. Debt. Deficit. Obesity. Fundamental disputes over guns, immigration and the climate. A to-do list that would exhaust even the most vigorous multitasker. A meteor in Russia, even.
• Yet what created one of the buzziest brouhahas in America last week? Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's inopportune sip of water on live TV.
• Enormous challenges pack the nation's plate, but this country just can't seem to get enough of the small stuff.
• It sometimes feels as if the collective obsession with the trivial is drowning out significant moments and overshadowing important debate. What does it say about America when the silly and the serious are considered with equal intensity? How can we keep some perspective? And what are the dangers if we don't?
• It happens everywhere. But in the realm of politics alone, there is plenty of blame to go around for the focus on the frivolous. And there are deeply conflicted feelings among those responsible.
• ___

• SEATTLE (AP) -- Teaching parents to switch channels from violent shows to educational TV can improve preschoolers' behavior, even without getting them to watch less, a study found.
• The results were modest and faded over time, but may hold promise for finding ways to help young children avoid aggressive, violent behavior, the study authors

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