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It's All Politics
2:19 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Romney And Obama: A Tale Of Two Commencement Speeches

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:06 pm

As close as the general election is expected to be, virtually everything the presidential candidates do from here until November is about maximizing the turnout of voters in their respective bases without repelling independents or moderates.

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Asia
2:08 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Australia's Poker Machines: Are They Too Popular?

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:49 pm

It's a weekday night at the Welcome Stranger pub in downtown Melbourne. Tom Cummings, who used to be a regular here, shows me around the gaming room.

"This machine here, which is called Shaman's Magic, has four different jackpots that you can win. If you'd like to give it a whirl, you can see how you go," says Cummings.

The machines here take Australian $50 bills (Australian dollars are currently worth almost exactly the same as U.S. dollars). You can lose $1,200 in an hour. And a win is not always what it appears to be.

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Opinion
1:52 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Op-Ed: Euro Crisis 'Uniquely Greek'

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

And now, the Opinion Page. Markets around the world continue to fall. After losing ground several days in a row, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 80 points at last glance as the political stalemate drags on in Greece. A final push is set to begin tomorrow in Athens to form a coalition government after elections that served as an angry rebuke of austerity by Greek voters. Analysts are increasingly concerned that Greece's political paralysis may lead that country to leave the eurozone and head towards default.

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The Two-Way
1:49 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Ron Paul Will Stop Campaigning, But Will Continue Delegate Hunt

Credit Robert F. Bukaty / AP
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, in February.

Originally published on Tue May 15, 2012 9:39 am

Rep. Ron Paul, of Texas, issued a carefully worded statement today, saying his team will no longer campaign in the rest of the primary states.

Does that mean he's bowing out of the GOP primary and leaving the nomination all to Mitt Romney? Not really.

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The Two-Way
1:33 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Calif. Governor Proposes Closing $16 Billion Deficit With Cuts, Tax Hikes

California is facing a budget shortfall of $15.7 billion. Today, Gov. Jerry Brown released a budget that closes that budget with a combination of tax hikes and deep cuts to health and welfare spending.

The AP reports:

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NPR Story
1:27 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Teddy Roosevelt's 'Shocking' Dinner With Washington

Originally published on Tue May 15, 2012 9:35 am

In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt invited African-American educator Booker T. Washington, who had become close to the president, to dine with his family at the White House. Several other presidents had invited African-Americans to meetings at the White House, but never to a meal. And in 1901, segregation was law.

News of the dinner between a former slave and the president of the United States became a national sensation. The subject of inflammatory articles and cartoons, it shifted the national conversation around race at the time.

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Shots - Health Blog
1:18 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Jobs And College Pose Big Challenges For Young People With Autism

Credit iStockphoto.com

Originally published on Tue May 15, 2012 6:50 am

Times are tough for young people. Unemployment is high, and college costs are soaring.

For those who've been diagnosed with autism, the challenges of life after high school are even steeper, according to a study just published in the journal Pediatrics.

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Education
1:11 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Third Grade A Pivotal Time In Students' Lives

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 1:52 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington. The age of eight or nine, when kids complete third grade, represents a key turning point. Up until then, children are learning to read. Afterwards, they read to learn. Many educators believe that kids who can't read should be held back, and several states use standardized tests. Kids who don't pass are automatically held back, or retained.

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Politics
1:07 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

The Job: Dig Up Dirt On Politicians

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 1:52 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. Every politician knows that a drunk driving charge or a secret lover can come back to haunt come campaign time, but so can an unfortunate turn of phrase in an interview decades-old, a now-outdated policy position, a master's thesis or even, as Mitt Romney learned this past weekend, high school pranks that may have gone too far.

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Intelligence Squared U.S.
1:01 pm
Mon May 14, 2012

Debate: Should College Football Be Banned?

  • Listen To The Full Audio Of The Debate
  • Listen To The Broadcast Version Of The Debate

Amid allegations of corruption and misconduct in college football programs, critics have questioned whether the schools are exploiting student-athletes in an attempt to make millions of dollars. And alarms have been raised about the risks of repeated head injuries.

But football supporters say the sport is unifying, it teaches life lessons to players and it offers chances to young men that they may not get elsewhere.

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