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The Two-Way
3:02 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

IMF Dims U.S. Outlook, Warns Against Dramatic Spending Cuts

Credit Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks during a news conference on Tuesday in Washington.

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 3:05 pm

Like the Federal Reserve before them, the International Monetary Fund lowered its growth projections for the U.S. economy. The Los Angles Times says that in its annual report, the IMF calls the U.S. recovery "tepid" and warns U.S. lawmakers that hitting the brakes too hard on spending and tax cuts could threaten the weak recovery both at home and abroad.

The Times reports:

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U.S.
3:00 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Illinois Services Threatened As Pension Hole Grows

Originally published on Thu July 5, 2012 2:16 pm

Fallout from the recession continues to hobble state finances, particularly in states crippled by pensions they can't afford to pay.

Chief among them is Illinois, which has racked up the largest unfunded liability in the nation. Politicians there pledge to fix it.

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NPR Cities: Urban Life In The 21st Century
2:55 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Oakland Turns A Corner As Calif. Faces Budget Woes

Originally published on Thu July 5, 2012 2:17 pm

The city of Oakland, Calif. has long been associated with crime, poverty, urban decay and, more recently, violent protests tied to the Occupy movement.

So it may have been a surprise to New York Times readers when the newspaper listed Oakland as No. 5 among its top "places to go" in 2012.

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Shots - Health Blog
2:32 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

True Or False? Elected Officials Interpret The Health Law

Credit Michael Conroy / AP
Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal wants the administration's health care law repealed.

How well do you remember what's actually in the Affordable Care Act?

Last week's Supreme Court decision upholding President Obama's signature domestic achievement has thrust the measure back into the spotlight, where it's likely to remain through the presidential election.

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From Our Listeners
2:29 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Letters: Storytelling, Making Work Work

Transcript

JOHN DONVAN, HOST:

It's Tuesday, and time to read from your comments.

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Fitness & Nutrition
2:24 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Debate Revived: Low-Carb Or Low-Fat Diet?

Is a calorie just a calorie? Science writer Gary Taubes says no. In a study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, diet researchers reported that patients on a low-carb diet kept weight off longer than those on a low-fat diet, re-introducing a long-standing debate.

Planet Money
2:16 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Storm Stimulus Unlikely As Communities Recover

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
A fallen tree crushes a truck in Falls Church, Va., outside Washington. Storms across the Midwest and East downed trees and power lines and left millions without power.

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 4:40 pm

Once major storms pass, hard-hit communities sometimes discover an unexpected silver lining: a miniature economic boom, as insurance checks pay for homeowners to rebuild and businesses to restock.

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Politics
2:14 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

How History Colors Our View Of Presidents

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 5:06 pm

Transcript

JOHN DONVAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm John Donvan in Washington. John Roberts plays the hero and the villain. Charlie Rangel may face a recount in New York. The attorney general is held in contempt, and Chris Christie has something spicy to say to a reporter. Stand by for it, it's Wednesday(ph) and time for a...

GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE: Are you stupid?

DONVAN: Edition of the Political Junkie.

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: There you go again.

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Around the Nation
2:09 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Poll Shows A New American Definition Of Optimism

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 2:55 pm

Transcript

JOHN DONVAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm John Donvan.

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13.7: Cosmos And Culture
2:03 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Life, Cosmos, Books And Love

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 2:28 pm

Monkey See
1:52 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Museums And Planetariums: Two Terrific Books And Two Ways Of Reading

Credit

When the power goes out, what can you do but read books, like it's THE PRAIRIE?

Kidding, kidding. But I'm not kidding when I say that the recent (fourth day and counting!) power outage at my house, while relieved by visits to the couches of friends and family who remain AC-enabled and taunt me with their humming refrigerators and whirring fans, also gave me the opportunity to catch up on my reading.

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Krulwich Wonders...
1:41 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Showing Vultures A Little Love

Originally published on Wed August 1, 2012 12:32 pm

Think of a giraffe lying on the Serengeti plain. He has just died, maybe of disease, maybe he was killed by a pride of lions, but now he's a 19-foot-long, 4,000-pound mound of meat, which very soon is going to stink and rot and muck up the neighborhood.

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It's All Politics
1:34 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Polls Show Americans, Like Their Justices, Are Still Divided Over Health Care

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
The scene outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, when the justices released their ruling on President Obama's health care law.

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 1:50 pm

Americans remain about as polarized over President Obama's health care law as the nine members of the Supreme Court, according to polls taken after last week's ruling.

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The Salt
1:32 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

Three Ways Pie History Is Like HBO's 'Game Of Thrones'

Originally published on Fri October 26, 2012 12:21 pm

Much has been written about the real-life historical people and events that inspired Game Of Thrones. Many fans of the hit HBO series and the fantasy books on which it is based know that author G.R.R.

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Books
1:30 pm
Tue July 3, 2012

'Monkey Mind': When Debilitating Anxiety Takes Over

Credit Tyler Maroney
Author and journalist Daniel Smith teaches English at the College of New Rochelle in New York.

Originally published on Thu July 5, 2012 11:18 am

There's a lot to be anxious about — an upcoming job interview, a first date or perhaps a big presentation at work. For some, anxiety can be much more than just sweaty palms and quivering hands. It can be a debilitating condition with severe physical and mental effects.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that nearly 40 million American adults suffer from a wide range of anxiety disorders — from acute nervousness and increased heart rate to full-on panic attacks.

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