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The 19 firefighters killed in Arizona Sunday represented the worst loss for their profession since Sept. 11, 2001. The number of firefighters killed in the line of duty has been in decline, but departments are seeking innovative ways to offer support in times of grief.

The U.S. Postal Service began using the five-digit ZIP code in 1963. In recognition of the anniversary, we've examined the list of more than 40,000 ZIP codes and highlighted a few that deserve extra attention.

Minority cycling groups are forming all over the country. One in Washington, D.C., in particular, is trying to change the perception of just who is a cyclist.

Traditional hearing aids can be too expensive for many people. But a new type that uses Bluetooth technology costs only about $300. The company that makes the new devices aims to reach millions of people around the world who need hearing aids but have trouble paying for them.

A family copes with tuberculosis in a place where a child infected with the illness may be shunned. Nurses are working hard to bring clean air and clear information to every home and every generation.

For decades, millions of refugees around the world have lived in canvas tents. But those tents are hot during the day, cold at night, and afford little privacy. Ikea and the U.N. refugee agency are working to provide a durable and innovative alternative. Testing on the units begins this month in Ethiopia.

Several countries have already turned down requests from NSA leaker Edward Snowden, who remains in legal limbo at a Moscow airport. He wants to avoid being sent to the U.S. to face prosecution. There's speculation in Russia that he might leave with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is visiting.

Also: Reading Gabriel García Márquez in simulated space; drawings by Jorge Luis Borges and Sylvia Plath; Philipp Meyer on writing.

The 19 "hotshots" who were killed while fighting a wildfire over the weekend were remembered on Monday in Prescott, Ariz. The simple tolling of a bell and the reading of their names brought home the sad story. Meanwhile, the fire they were fighting continues to burn.

The same genes that allow humans to sense sweet and umami flavors may play a key role in a man's reproductive fitness. Researchers found that inactivating these genes in mice can led to sterility of males.