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6:33am

Wed April 25, 2012
Shots - Health Blog

Plame Wilson Wages Battle Against Postpartum Depression

Originally published on Fri April 27, 2012 9:47 am

Credit Leigh Vogel / Getty Images
Valerie Plame Wilson attends the 2010 AFI DC Labor FilmFest screening of the movie Fair Game at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center Silver Spring, Md.

Sure, being a covert operative for the CIA was a challenge for Valerie Plame Wilson. And having her cover blown in a newspaper column thrust her into the public spotlight in a way she never expected.

But her experience with postpartum depression after giving birth to twins in 2000 tested her in ways that espionage never did, she told NPR's Tell Me More Tuesday.

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6:33am

Wed April 25, 2012
The Two-Way

Romney: A 'New Campaign' Begins

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 11:09 am

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife Ann celebrated Tuesday night in Manchester, N.H.

After sweeping all five of Tuesday's Republican presidential primaries, already presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney declared that the 2012 presidential campaign is now really on.

It's "the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better," he told supporters in New Hampshire.

"The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it's not the best America can do," the former Massachusetts governor added.

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5:51am

Wed April 25, 2012
Arts & Life

Get Ready To Celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 12:12 pm

Credit iStock Photo

National Poetry Month may be coming to an end, but poetry lovers still have one big day to look forward to this April. This Thursday is Poem in Your Pocket Day. The idea is to tuck a favorite poem into your back pocket to share with family, friends and co-workers. Poetry lovers across the country have come up with clever ways to celebrate.

At Baggby's Gourmet Sandwiches in Charlottesville, Virginia, customers will find something different in their bag lunches. Owner Jon LaPanta explains.

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5:43am

Wed April 25, 2012
Election 2012

Romney Has 5 More Primary Wins Under His Belt

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

Mitt Romney has won Tuesday's primaries in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. But he delivered his victory speech in New Hampshire, the state that gave him an important early win in the hard-fought Republican primary season. And New Hampshire will be an important battleground state in the general election battle between Romney and President Obama.

4:49am

Wed April 25, 2012
Business

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

The town of Boring, Oregon, is twinning with the village of Dull, Scotland. The idea came after a Scottish cyclist passed through Boring. She thought Dull would make a great sister community. Scotland's tourism agency says the partnership could attract visitors to Dull.

4:49am

Wed April 25, 2012
Economy

'Bittersweet Season' Details Caring For Aging Mom

Originally published on Tue June 26, 2012 1:38 pm

Credit Michael Lionstar
Jane Gross, author of A Bittersweet Season

As part of Morning Edition's Family Matters financial literacy series, Renee Montagne talks to Jane Gross, author of A Bittersweet Season, about caring for her aging mother, and what she wishes she had known before she started.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Transcript

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4:49am

Wed April 25, 2012
Middle East

Despite Cease-Fire, Syrians Are Still Dying

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

The fledgling U.N. monitoring mission in Syria is under sharp criticism from activists who say the team is failing to enforce the terms of the agreement drafted by special envoy Kofi Annan. Violence is down in some areas but flaring up in others.

4:49am

Wed April 25, 2012
Business

Business News

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

Apple announced higher-than-expected earnings for the most recent quarter — profits nearly doubled over last year. Apple's stock is back up, after falling in recent weeks over fears of a slowdown in iPhone sales. Those fears proved unfounded. Sales of iPhone and iPads beat company estimates.

4:37am

Wed April 25, 2012
Business

Activists Disrupt Wells Fargo Shareholders Meeting

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 6:33 pm

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And there were protests and arrests at the Wells Fargo annual shareholders meeting in San Francisco yesterday. The demonstration - led by the Occupy Movement - was over the bank's foreclosure and lending policies. Hundreds of protesters bought bank shares so they could attend the meeting and disrupt proceedings. [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: While hundreds sought to disrupt the meeting, several dozen people representing community groups had purchased stock.]

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4:37am

Wed April 25, 2012
Business

Are Bribes The Norm In Mexico's Business Culture?

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:42 am

Wal-Mart's stock price has fallen sharply this week after The New York Times published an investigative story on how the retailer's rapid growth in Mexico involved systematic bribes. Steve Inskeep talks to Mexico-based business journalist Eduardo Garcia about the Wal-Mart bribery story.

4:31am

Wed April 25, 2012
NPR Story

Obama Pitches Low-Cost College Loans

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

President Obama on Wednesday visits students at the University of Iowa, where he'll again make a pitch for low-cost college loans. It's the last stop on a trip that's taken Obama to two other battleground states: Colorado and North Carolina. He's primarily reaching out this week to younger voters.

4:31am

Wed April 25, 2012
NPR Story

Fitch Upgrades Ford's Junk Status

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

After all the reports about massive debts and credit downgrades, we have a story this morning of a credit upgrade. The ratings agency Fitch upgraded Ford.

INSKEEP: The company was at junk bond status, meaning a loan to Ford was considered a major gamble. Now, it's been moved to investment grade, the lowest investment rating: BBB minus.

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4:31am

Wed April 25, 2012
NPR Story

British Panel Hears From Rupert Murdoch

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

In Britain Wednesday, media mogul Rupert Murdoch appears before a panel to testify about contacts with leading British politicians at a time when his News Corp. was trying to takeover broadcasting group BSkyB. On Tuesday, Murdoch's son appeared before the same panel.

3:05am

Wed April 25, 2012
Economy

Fed Chief Bernanke To Discuss Sluggish Economy

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:34 am

Credit Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has issued cautions about the economy.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve wrap up a two-day meeting Wednesday and will explain what they plan to do about interest rates. The consensus seems to be they'll keep short-term rates near zero to help support the lagging economy.

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3:04am

Wed April 25, 2012
Sweetness And Light

U.S. Women In Golf, Tennis: Where Are You?

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

Credit Jeff Gross / Getty Images
Yani Tseng of Taiwan hits a bunker shot to the ninth green during the second round of the LPGA LOTTE Championship at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Here's today's sports question: Who are Victoria Azarenka and Yani Tseng?

Give up? Well, they only happen to be the No. 1 women's tennis player and golfer in the world. If you don't know them, you're obviously a sexist fantasy football zealot.

No, no, I'll give you a pass.

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3:03am

Wed April 25, 2012
Around the Nation

Holder Vows 'Zero Tolerance' To Human Trafficking

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:13 am

Credit Danny Johnston / AP
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said human trafficking will not be tolerated in the U.S. during a speech at the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, Ark., on Tuesday.

Forced labor and underage prostitution are hiding in plain sight in cities all over the U.S. and are no longer problems confined to the developing world, according to Attorney General Eric Holder.

In a major speech on human trafficking Tuesday in Little Rock, Ark., Holder said far too many reports of abuse cross his desk each week, more than 40 percent of them involving children.

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3:02am

Wed April 25, 2012
World

VA Struggles To Provide Vets With Mental Health Care

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

Credit Chris Hondros / Getty Images
A veteran of the Iraq War with post-traumatic stress disorder talks to physical therapist Nicole Bormann before a session in the VA Medical Center in St. Louis.

Over the past five years, the Department of Veterans Affairs says, the number of former service members seeking mental health services has climbed by a third. In response, the agency has boosted funding and tightened standards.

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3:01am

Wed April 25, 2012
Asia

Carmakers In China Rev Up As Industry Shifts East

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 6:24 pm

The Beijing auto show runs this week in what is now the world's largest car market, and a crucial one for Detroit companies.

General Motors just announced it will open 600 more dealerships in China, where it sells more cars than it does in the U.S. Last week, Ford announced construction of its fourth Chinese assembly plant.

For longtime American auto executives in China, witnessing the shift in the global auto industry is dramatic.

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1:36am

Wed April 25, 2012
Education

Negotiating The College Funding Labyrinth

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:22 am

Credit Paul Sakuma / AP
About 7 out of 10 students borrow money to pay for college. Here, a Stanford University student walks through the campus in Palo Alto, Calif.

Now that your child has gotten into college, have you figured out how much it's actually going to cost — and who's going to pay for it?

These questions are hitting college-bound students and their parents right about now, along with the other million questions that nobody seems to have straight answers for. Paying for college can be complicated, if not mind-boggling.

Roughly 7 out of 10 students borrow money to pay for college, and for many, the process might as well be a mystery wrapped in a riddle.

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6:47pm

Tue April 24, 2012
Law

Controversial Arizona Law Reaches Supreme Court

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:10 am

The U.S. Supreme Court takes up yet another incendiary election issue Wednesday when it hears arguments on a controversial Arizona law that targets illegal immigrants.

As with last month's test of the Obama health care overhaul, the case pits the federal government's assertion of power against some states, and with some exceptions, it pits Democrats against Republicans.

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