Women also hold a record share of state cabinet posts, roughly one in four, with Massachusetts at the top of the list.

Put another way, the United States is soaking up a record share of the world's savings and investment money.

Nasdaq reported that the overall short interest in stocks traded on that market rose 3.6 percent, to a record 1.75 billion shares.

At the American Stock Exchange, the short interest position rose 3.5 percent, to a record 104.9 million shares.

Short interest on the Big Board rose 3.8 percent, to a record 470.6 million shares, in the month ended April 15.

At the American Stock Exchange, the short position rose 3.7 percent, to a record 108.8 million shares.

They learned yesterday that their reward for winning the World Series was a record individual share of $312,042.

A record share - more than two of three - of Americans own their own homes.

That increase was one reason the overall short interest on the Big Board rose 5.6 percent, to a record 2.44 billion shares.

The American Stock Exchange reported short interest rose 1.1 percent, to a record 181.7 million shares.