Nation

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30K evacuate as winds whip raging Calif. wildfire

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4 dead as heavy storms push through Midwest
NYC mayor, N.Y. speaker call for ground zero summit
49 people hurt in Boston when trolleys collide
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World

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U.N.: 1M people displaced, flee Pakistan bombings

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U.S. denies 147 civilians killed in Afghanistan violence
Taiwan to consider setting up office in China
N. Korea vows to bolster nuclear arsenal
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Swine flu

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Internet life
Facebook and grades: The debate continues.
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Efforts to lift lobbying veil still a work in progress.
Asia
Chinese health care reformers aim to help rural areas.
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Opinion

The wisdom of bank stress tests
The Federal Reserve/Treasury effort is a useful one that might give regulators a road map for preventing a collapse of the banking system. And now a skeptical public might see that the bank rescue plan wasn’t just a cash-dumping exercise after all.
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Special investigation:Toxic air and schools

Health risks stack up for students near industrial plants

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Religion survey
See how numbers of faithful have fallen in 18 years.
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A closer look at the troops who lost their lives at war.
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Health & Behavior

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By Alex Brandon, AP
Some kids with autism can recover, study suggests
By Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press
A small but provocative study suggests that at least 10% of children with autism overcome the disorder by age 9 most of them after...
health | Comment | Recommend
People report more health issues after losing job
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Losing a job can lead not just to financial hardships but to health problems as well, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart...
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Boston Scientific
Drug-coated stents better at keeping arteries open
By Ed Edelson, HealthDay
Although arteries propped open by drug-coated stents are less likely to become blocked again than those treated with bare-metal stents, the...
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By Gregory Bull, AP
Flu overhyped? Some say officials 'cried swine'
By Lindsey Tanner and Mike Stobbe, Associated Press
The World Health Organization predicted Thursday up to 2 billion people could catch the H1N1 flu virus if the outbreak turns into a global...

Religion

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By Ali Jarekji, Reuters
Pope expresses respect for Islam in Jordan
Pope Benedict XVI expressed deep respect for Islam Friday and said he hopes the Catholic Church can play a role in Mideast peace as he...
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Hawaii lawmakers back 'Islam Day'
Hawaii's state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday to celebrate "Islam Day" over the objections of a few lawmakers who said...
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By Patrick Baz, AFP/Getty Images
Pope's Mideast trip not the same as John Paul's
By Victor L. Simpson, Associated Press
Pope Benedict XVI begins a week-long tour in the Middle East on Friday, a self-described "pilgrim of peace" seeking to strengthen frayed...

Education

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By Dan Kitwood, Getty Images
Facebook and grades: The debate continues
By Mary Beth Marklein, USA TODAY
A question about whether Facebook use has any impact in college students' grades continues to create debate.
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By Tom Gannam, AP
Biden to give first commencement speech
By Nicole Gaudiano, Gannett Washington Bureau
Biden, class of '68, will deliver his first commencement address of the season at Syracuse University College of Law, which will award him...
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Study links education, health
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
American adults with the least education have the worst health, a new study finds. For example, adults who didn't graduate from high school...

Science & Space

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By Robert Ahrens, USA TODAY
NASA rescue mission aims to revive Hubble
By Traci Watson and Dan Vergano, USA TODAY
Orbiting the Earth, the Hubble telescope has unveiled some of the universe's greatest mysteries and captured imaginations with its...
environment | Comment | Recommend
Beetle, fungus threaten Florida's avocado industry
By Sarah Larimer, Associated Press
A little beetle could cause big problems for Florida's multimillion-dollar avocado industry.
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By Jonathan Hayward, AP
Obama won't fight global warming with bear rules
By H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press
The Obama administration, which promised a sharp break from the Bush White House on global warming, declared Friday it would stick with a...

Offbeat

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Megan H. Chan, USA TODAY
Okla. rattlesnake roundup pitches 'family-friendly' fun
By Megan H. Chan, USA TODAY
Snakes headline the Rattlesnake Derby festival that brings an estimated 35,000 visitors each year to Mangum, Okla., to jolt the economy.
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AP file photo
Couple arrested for having sex near Windsor Castle
Queen Elizabeth II was at home at Windsor Castle, the sentries who guard her were on duty, and the large park surrounding the magnificent...
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Judge: Inmate can't rename himself 'Sinner'
He may have broken the law, but a Nebraska inmate still can't change his name to "Sinner Lawrence Bilskirnir."