Topic: Focus
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Public-sector belt-tightening: thrift, or long-term drag on US economy?Since June 2009, 504,000 jobs have been cut among municipal employees. Public-sector reductions at the local level have subtracted almost a quarter of a percentage point from annual GDP each of the past four years.
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Mongolia strikes it rich, but at what cost?Vast mineral deposits are bringing wealth to this country of 3 million. Now Mongolia is in a race to stem the threat of corruption.
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Mongolia's relationship status with China? Complicated.Mongolia just rushed a law through parliament to make it harder for China to invest in Mongolia.
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In Midwest, fight over labor unions to be at heart of 2012 electionAlthough labor unions have had some reservations about President Obama, they're still looking to him as their best ally in the 2012 election. Meanwhile, Republicans who are hoping to further curb unions are putting stock in Mitt Romney.
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It's all about Ohio: Could Rob Portman boost Romney's chances? (+video)Sen. Rob Portman, a reported Romney short-lister for veep, is worth three to five points in battleground Ohio, says the state's Republican chairman. No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning the Buckeye State.
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Chicago: A gang shooting, a stray bullet, an innocent victimA second-grader's shooting death turns anguish into anger for the unwitting victims of Chicago's homicide epidemic. With schoolchildren caught in the gang crossfire on the Windy City's mean streets, parents say the only option they have is to keep their children home.
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In Chicago, heat and homicide stoke fear and frustrationChicago's surging murder rate is now four times that of New York. With drug cartels battling for turf and gang warfare turning chaotic, how can the Windy City get a handle on its homicides?
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Ex-Israeli diplomat: Boycott my countryFormer Israeli ambassador to South Africa Alon Liel argues that a boycott would put pressure on people and businesses, possibly persuading some to relocate inside Israel proper.
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Fearing boycott, Israeli academics warn against accrediting West Bank schoolThe Israeli higher education committee for the West Bank approved accreditation of Ariel University Center today. One university president warns the move endangers Israel's 'next Nobel prize.'
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Oh, for the simpler Olympic Games of 1948In today's dollars, the 1948 London Olympic Games cost about $33 million. This year's tab: about $17 billion. What happened?
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Have the Olympics gotten too big?London residents today lost a bid to stop rooftop missile deployments. Many Britons are questioning Olympics they say are most notable for super-sized costs and security.
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Is Congress to blame for a downshifting US economy?Evidence is mounting that the economy is taking a hit because Congress can't – or won't – deal with the 'fiscal cliff' looming at year's end. The fight on Capitol Hill last summer over the national debt limit also took an economic toll.
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Supersize America: Whose job to fight obesity?Banning large sodas, blocking restaurants in some neighborhoods, posting calories, kicking snack foods out of schools. Are anti-obesity campaigns crossing the line into nanny state intrusion?
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Is Egypt's revolution over?Tahrir Square is filling again today, but it no longer holds the symbolic power for Egyptians that it did in early 2011. Now it's more of a democracy ghetto.
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Unpacking 'Romneyomics': how Mitt would adjust dials on the US economyMItt Romney offers a prescription for the ailing US economy that hews to Republican principles. But it also has some unorthodox differences. Well-off Americans could get fewer government benefits and pay more for Medicare.
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Spaniards turn to barter, alternative banks to alleviate economic painSpanish institutions are in no shape to help struggling Spaniards, so they're turning to alternative banks and ways of exchanging goods to get by.
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In Spain, public distrust feeds economic meltdownIn Spain, misinformation and cover-ups have undermined Spaniards' trust in their government and its plan for economic recovery, with repercussions that could resonate all the way in Brussels.
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Recession in America? 10 questions assessing the threat.
Concerns about weak economies in Europe have already rattled global financial markets, and things are hardly rosy at home. Is America heading into a recession? Here are answers to 10 questions about that risk.
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Rio+20: megacities strive to survive – and thrive (+video)As Brazil prepares to host the Rio+20 conference this month, its own rapid urbanization highlights the health and infrastructure challenges of promoting sustainable cities worldwide.
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Rio+20 challenge: access to water in Mexico CityLives revolve around finding water in parts of Mexico City, where 33 percent of residents don't have daily access to it.
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Rio+20 challenge: seeking sanitation in the slums of Lagos, NigeriaAs more and more Nigerians flood into Lagos in search of jobs and opportunities, the sanitation system is badly under strain.
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Rio+20 challenge: expanding transportation to match growth in MumbaiMumbai's infrastructure is groaning under the pressure of its decade-long economic boom, as people travel for business and rising incomes put more private vehicles on the road.
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Have consumer boycotts gone too far?Activists can wield power by targeting corporate sponsors of groups they don't like. But one group warns that such boycotts harm commerce and discourage companies and workers from getting involved in politics.
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Student debt: What's been driving college costs so high, anyway?Average tuition at public four-year colleges rose 73 percent from 1999 to 2009, even as median family income fell about 7 percent. Tuition at private colleges outpaced income, too. Here's why.
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Egypt presidential elections: Fruit of Tahrir Square tastes bitter to someMany Egyptians feel they can't vote for either candidate in the presidential election run-off.
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