(World) The Taliban is using Afghan children as young as 3 years old to act as human shields or to gather spent cartridges, and teens are being given motorcycles for planting road-side bombs, U.S. Marines say. (USA Today)

(Nation) The damage from the Deepwater Horizon spill may not be as widespread as we think. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported several weeks ago that the oil was breaking down and dispersing rapidly, and some scientists say that the destruction may be significantly less than feared. (New York Times)

(State) Enrollment at the state’s public and private colleges hit “an all-time high” this fall, according to the Council on Postsecondary Education. There are an estimated 270,000 students at various institutions across the state. (The Courier-Journal)

(Other) Lady Gaga wore a dress made out of meat as she accepted the award for Video of the Year at last night’s VMAs.