House & Senate Races
3:56 am
Sat September 29, 2012

Utah House Candidates Both Have The 'Right Strategy'

Originally published on Sat September 29, 2012 2:53 pm

In Utah, the state's lone Democratic congressman is in a tough battle for a seventh term. Jim Matheson's opponent, Mia Love, has the support of national GOP superstars and, if elected, would become the first black Republican woman in Congress.

In a state where only about 25 percent of residents vote as Democrats, Matheson has successfully gotten enough Republicans to vote for him and keep him in office for the past 12 years. He can trace his political roots back to his father, Scott Matheson, the state's last Democratic governor.

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Around the Nation
3:55 am
Sat September 29, 2012

L.A. Sheriff Rebuked For Alleged Inmate Abuse

Credit Damian Dovarganes / AP
County Sheriff Lee Baca faces what may be the toughest fight of his 14-year political career.

Originally published on Sat September 29, 2012 1:23 pm

Los Angeles County's sheriff is under fire. A blue-ribbon commission issued a scathing report Friday accusing Sheriff Lee Baca of failing to address long-standing allegations of inmate abuse in his jails. The accusations include deputies beating inmates, cover-ups and a persistent culture of violence.

The sheriff has been able to weather many storms during his 14-year tenure, but this may be the toughest fight of his political career.

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Europe
3:52 am
Sat September 29, 2012

Greeks Battle To 'Survive' Amid New Budget Proposal

Credit Petros Giannakouris / AP
People with disabilities take part in a march against the government's new austerity measures in central Athens on Thursday.

Originally published on Sat September 29, 2012 9:25 pm

The Greek government is set to present a new austerity budget on Monday that's supposed to please the institutions that are lending billions to the country to save it from bankruptcy.

But the cuts also come at a time when a deep recession has dragged into its fifth year. More than a third of businesses in Greece have closed, and nearly a quarter of Greeks are unemployed.

Busking For The Next Generation

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Science
5:31 pm
Fri September 28, 2012

Scientist Cleared In Polar Bear Controversy

Credit Steve Amstrup / Fish and Wildlife Service
Polar bears in the Beaufort Sea in northern Alaska. Scientist Charles Monnett caused a stir with a 2006 report on polar bears that were drowning, apparently owing to a lack of ice.

Originally published on Fri September 28, 2012 5:56 pm

A long, controversial investigation of a polar bear scientist has ended with his government employer saying it does not look like he engaged in any scientific misconduct.

Charles Monnett is a wildlife researcher with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, part of the Department of the Interior. He and a colleague, Jeffrey Gleason, wrote an influential 2006 report describing apparently drowned polar bears floating in the Arctic, which they saw during a routine aerial survey of whales.

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It's All Politics
5:06 pm
Fri September 28, 2012

In Ohio, Obama and Romney Duel Over Trade With China

If there is a boogey man in the Ohio presidential sweepstakes, it's China. According to Bloomberg, the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have aired nearly 30,000 ads that mention trade with China, many airing in the key swing state of Ohio.

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The Two-Way
5:01 pm
Fri September 28, 2012

Tomato Wars Ahead? U.S. Dubous On Extending Mexico Trade Deal

Credit Gregory Bull / AP
A worker separates tomatoes at a market in Mexico City. The Commerce Department says it might act to end a 16-year-old trade deal governing fresh Mexican tomatoes sold in the U.S.

Originally published on Sun September 30, 2012 8:09 pm

Talk of a Tomato War is simmering in agricultural circles, after the U.S. Commerce Department issued a report Thursday that recommends ending an agreement on how fresh tomatoes grown in Mexico are sold in the United States. The issue could create an expanding trade conflict; Mexican officials have said they would retaliate to defend the tomato growers.

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Afghanistan
4:31 pm
Fri September 28, 2012

Can't Change Your Money In Iran? Try Afghanistan

Originally published on Fri September 28, 2012 5:24 pm

The western Afghan city of Herat has become a thriving hub for the money exchange business, a consequence of geography and politics. Money-changers throng the currency market carrying thick stacks of Iranian currency, much of it brought in by the hundreds of thousands of Afghan workers who earn their living in Iran.

While the stacks of crisp 100,000 rial notes that money-changers bring to the market might look like a small fortune, the 10 million rials in each of these stacks is worth less than $400, because the Iranian currency recently lost more than half of its value.

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Presidential Race
4:16 pm
Fri September 28, 2012

In Ohio, China's A Top Campaigning Point

Originally published on Fri September 28, 2012 5:24 pm

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

According to Bloomberg, President Obama and Mitt Romney have aired nearly 30,000 TV spots addressing the issue of trade with China, and that's just in the past month. Many of those ads aired in Ohio where both candidates are spending a lot of time. NPR's Sonari Glinton explains the Ohio-China nexus.

SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: If there's a boogeyman in the Ohio presidential sweepstakes, it's China.

(SOUNDBITE OF AD)

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Sugar's Picks
4:11 pm
Fri September 28, 2012

Sugar's Picks Oct. 1, 2012

Look through this week's Picks by Sugar, and click below to see a list of the new music released this week.

NEW RELEASES, October 1, 2012

Afghanistan
3:59 pm
Fri September 28, 2012

Iran Turns To Afghanistan When Laundering Money

Originally published on Fri September 28, 2012 4:15 pm

There may be international sanctions against Iran, but not in Afghanistan's border provinces with the Islamic Republic where trade and money-laundering are thriving. Every day, millions in Iranian currency are brought in by taxis ferrying passengers. The Iranian money is exchanged for dollars, which are then shipped back to Iran. American officials recently ordered the Afghan banks to crack down on this phenomenon and it appears to be having some effect.

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