Europe
3:24 am
Fri April 20, 2012

Open Season On Spain's King After Luxe Hunting Trip

Originally published on Fri April 20, 2012 6:46 am

For a man used to pomp and paparazzi, King Juan Carlos of Spain looked shaken, emerging from a hospital in Madrid Wednesday after hip surgery.

"I'm very sorry," he said, blinking into the cameras, sheepish, and leaning on his crutches. "I made a mistake, and it won't happen again."

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Presidential Race
3:23 am
Fri April 20, 2012

Working Moms' Challenges: Paid Leave, Child Care

Originally published on Fri April 20, 2012 8:55 am

The past week's political firestorm in the presidential race focused on stay-at-home moms, but two-thirds of women with young children now work. Nearly half are their family's primary breadwinner. What some feel is being lost in the political debate are the challenges they face in the workplace.

When Kids Get Sick

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Around the Nation
3:22 am
Fri April 20, 2012

As Workers Age, Oil Industry Braces For Skills Gap

Originally published on Tue May 8, 2012 9:11 am

Two years after the Deepwater Horizon accident killed 11 men and sent oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, the oil industry says it has learned valuable lessons from the disaster that are making drilling safer today.

But there's still a pressing issue looming for the oil industry: Oil field workers are retiring in huge numbers, leaving a workforce that's younger and — more importantly — less experienced.

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It's All Politics
3:22 am
Fri April 20, 2012

Ann Romney Takes Center Stage In Tug-Of-War For Female Voters

Credit Gerald Herbert / AP
Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, speaks at his Nevada caucus victory celebration in Las Vegas on Feb. 4.

Originally published on Fri April 20, 2012 7:57 am

For the past two weeks, the campaigns of both President Obama and GOP rival Mitt Romney have accused each other of waging a war on women. But what's really going on is a war for women's votes.

The president, like Democrats before him, has an advantage with female voters — who make up 53 percent of the American electorate. Romney is trying to close the gender gap by using his most powerful and popular surrogate: his wife.

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It's All Politics
7:05 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

Congress' Approval Rating Recovers Slightly

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 7:14 pm

Americans seem happier with Congress these days. That's what Gallup's two latest polls show: Congress, with an approval rating of 17 percent, has gained a whole seven points since February.

Still, they shouldn't get too cocky on the Hill, because this just means that 79 percent of Americans disapprove of the institution. That's down from a record high 86 percent in December of 2011. We suppose that's like saying in December almost everyone disapproved of Congress and now mostly everyone disapproves.

Here's Gallup's historical chart of Congress' approval rating:

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Sports
6:34 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

A Century Of Joy And Heartbreak At Fenway Park

Originally published on Fri April 20, 2012 12:09 pm

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is about Fenway Park. A century after it was built, fans still gush about this "lyric little bandbox," as John Updike called it. To guys like Ed Carpenter, Fenway is history and home, magic and mystique.

"I love this place," he says, tearing up. "I mean, it's not mortar and bricks and seats."

Carpenter first started coming to Fenway with his dad in 1949, when he was 6.

"We walked up this ramp right behind this home plate," he recalls. "I can still see everything was green, emerald green. It was love at first sight."

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It's All Politics
6:25 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

In A Closed Ohio Factory, Romney Reminds Voters, 'It's Still Empty'

Credit Jae C. Hong / AP
A campaign worker hangs a sign at a campaign stop for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Lorain, Ohio, on Thursday.

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 7:31 pm

GOP front-runner Mitt Romney is matching President Obama's recent appearance in the key swing state of Ohio while intensifying his rhetoric, attacking the president's record on the economy.

For the second day in a row, Romney used his location on the campaign trail to send a message.

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The Two-Way
6:06 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

Sister Simone Campbell: Vatican Reprimand 'Like A Sock In The Stomach'

Credit Network Lobby
Simone Campbell.

"Quite frankly, it's very visceral. It's like a sock in the stomach."

That's what Sister Simone Campbell, the executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby, said when NPR's Melissa Block asked her what her reaction was to a Vatican reprimand issued yesterday.

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Latin America
5:13 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

Ignoring Critics, Argentina To Nationalize Oil Firm

Originally published on Fri April 20, 2012 10:39 am

It's sounds like a story from the past: A Latin American leader announces plans to nationalize a large foreign company, touching off a high-stakes battle that involves money, politics and diplomacy.

Yet it's happening right now. Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez said this week that her country plans to take over a giant Spanish oil company at a time when the economies in both countries are facing challenges.

Spanish officials are threatening to retaliate against Argentina for seizing a majority of shares in the biggest oil company in Argentina, YPF.

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Education
5:06 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

Alabama School Strife Strikes Outside Of Class

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 6:34 pm

Alabama is near the bottom of the country's academic rankings. The state has problems with test scores, school improvement ratings and dropouts. But the district in Birmingham has a different kind of issue. The state recently took over the school board because of infighting on the board. The move has triggered cries of racism.

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