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Around the Nation
11:49 am
Mon May 14, 2012

An Ongoing Journey To Fulfill A Mother's Last Wish

For those people whose mothers have passed away, Mother's Day is often a day of remembrance. Host Michel Martin speaks with one woman about her 10 year — and still counting — journey to fulfill her mother's last wish. Daniele Seiss' story, "My Mothers Ashes," was featured in this week's Washington Post Magazine.

Your Health
11:42 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Pounding Away At America's Obesity Epidemic

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 12:37 pm

The numbers are staggering: One-third of Americans are obese; another third are overweight. Some 26 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes. An additional 79 million more are pre-diabetic. Thanks to these figures, the children of today have a good chance of becoming the first generation of Americans to die at younger ages than their parents.

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Monkey See
10:10 am
Mon May 14, 2012

NBC Upfronts: Six New Shows, And 'Community' On Fridays

Credit Chris Haston / NBC
Crystal as Dr. Zaius and Justin Kirk as Dr. George Coleman on NBC's new fall comedy, Animal Practice.

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 10:34 am

"What are the upfronts, exactly?"

People who write about television get this question a lot. And we're getting it a lot right now, because this is upfronts week for the major networks.

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The Two-Way
9:55 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Baby Names: The Latest Partisan Divide?

Credit Andre Panneton / iStockphoto.com
The percentage of newborns given the trendiest names is much smaller than it was a generation ago.

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 10:27 am

Evan, Elizabeth, Rachel, Abigail and John all have something in common. They were born this spring at Fletcher Allen hospital in Burlington, Vt.

Around the same time, a group of babies named Paislee, Liberty, Rykan and Scottlynn were all born in and around North Platte, Neb.

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The Two-Way
9:47 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Sophia Is No. 1 Among Girls' Names; Mason Soars To Near Top Among Boys

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 12:53 pm

Sophia has pushed Isabella off the No. 1 spot among most popular names for girls born in the U.S., the Social Security Administration says.

Meanwhile, Jacob remained atop the list of boys' names, where it's been since 1999.

But Mason "rocketed to number two" last year from the No. 12 spot in 2010.

Here are the top 10 for each gender, from the agency's website:

Boys

1. Jacob
2. Mason
3. William
4. Jayden
5. Noah

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Around the Nation
7:52 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Pipe Shop Owner Fights For Free Expression

When Adam Spiegel rolls down the metal security doors at his Medford, Ore., store, a painting becomes visible. Officials told him to clean the graffiti or be fined. He tells the Mail-Tribune it's not graffiti: it's a mural. Some onlookers think the painting resembles a giant bong.

Around the Nation
7:29 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Columbia University Janitor Graduates With Honors

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 9:48 am

When Gac Filipaj fled war-torn Yugoslavia in 1992, he became a refugee in New York. He took a janitor's job at Columbia University because it included free tuition. But he first had to learn English. After a dozen years, he received a bachelor's degree in classics over the weekend.

Education
4:51 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Budget Woes Could Close Philly's Problem Schools

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

Philadelphia's school district plans to close a quarter of its school buildings in coming years to eliminate a huge budget hole. But parents and activists don't trust the decision-makers. Many of them suspect the plan is a ruse to force charter schools and privatization on the district.

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