Gooding Public Library

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are taking a toll on Fort Lewis in Washington state. Officials at the largest Army base west of the Rockies say it's experiencing its largest deployment since the Vietnam era, with nearly two-thirds of its soldiers deployed. Austin Jenkins reports for the Northwest News Network.

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The Italian government denied a newspaper report Thursday that its secret services paid the Taliban thousands of dollars to keep an area in Afghanistan controlled by the Italians safe. Premier Silvio Berlusconi's office called the report in the Times of London "completely groundless."

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Round two of Major League Baseball's postseason begins tonight with the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the Philadelphia Phillies in a rematch of last year's National League Championship Series. The Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees start the American League championship series in New York tomorrow night. Steve Inskeep and commentator John Feinstein discuss the games.

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In August, Saudi Arabia's counterterrorism chief survived an assassination attempt by a known al-Qaida member who had come to the official's home to turn himself in. The attack raises questions in the country, where rehabilitation is the favored method for combating terrorism.

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Teams of gunmen strike three security sites in the eastern city of Lahore as the northwest is hit by multiple explosions, killing at least 38 people. The violence highlights militants' ability to carry out sophisticated strikes that are part of a wave of terrorism aimed at scuttling a planned offensive into the militant heartland on the Afghan border.

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Every time you crack open a soda, your taste buds may help you get the full experience of the carbonated beverage. A new study shows that your tongue's sour-sensing cells may be partly responsible for the sensation of carbonation's fizz.

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Texas has more than 73,000 sworn peace officers — roughly one for every 330 people, serving everything from local water districts to schools to the State Board of Dental Examiners. But the proliferation of these police forces raises serious questions of resource allocation and jurisdiction.

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At issue in the dispute is whether voters will choose a political party or individual candidates. The party option used four years ago simplified the process and protected individuals from violence, but most Iraqis agree it's better to cast a vote for a candidate. Parliament must pass an election law if polls are to take place in January.

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Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been dropped from a group seeking to buy the St. Louis Rams. The group's head said Limbaugh's participation had become a complication in its efforts.

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The New York Times Co. says it won't sell the Boston newspaper after all, following "careful consideration and analysis." In a regulatory filing Wednesday, the company said it is still weighing its options for the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass.

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President Obama is calling on Congress to approve $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors to make up for no increase in Social Security next year. The White House put the cost at $13 billion.

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A government watchdog said Wednesday Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner dropped the ball on the massive bonuses at insurance giant AIG. Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the $700 billion financial bailout, told a House panel that "a failure of management" led to the bonuses at the firm that received billions in federal bailout money.

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For the first time in more than a year, the Dow Jones industrial average has closed above 10,000 points. The Dow crossed five figures for the first time after hitting a 12-year low of 6,547.05 on March 9, 2009.

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The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 10,000 points Wednesday, fueled by better-than-expected retail sales numbers and big profits at JP Morgan Chase. The bank reported third-quarter earnings of $3.6 billion, but warned that it still expects more problems with consumer loans.

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Public health officials are confident that the new H1N1 vaccine is safe. Still, as with any vaccine, they have systems in place to monitor vaccine recipients in order to spot any potential problems.

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Now that the Senate Finance Committee has passed its health care overhaul bill, Senate Democratic leaders face the formidable task of pairing it with a more liberal bill passed earlier this year by another Senate committee. Then, they have to take it to the floor for debate.

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The House has passed a bill to toughen regulations on pilot training, qualifications and work schedules in response to accidents involving regional airlines. The impetus for the bill was a Feb. 12 crash near Buffalo-Niagara International Airport that killed 50 people.

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The massive, curly-haired pro wrestler's star turn in Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video turned him into an '80s pop culture figure.

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A civil war has raged in Yemen since August. But the government is tightly limiting coverage of the conflict. In addition, relief agencies are having a hard time getting aid to some 150,000 Yemenis who have been displaced by the fighting between northern rebels and government forces.

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The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush tells a Swiss television station that he would carry out his brazen protest again, even if it cost him his life.

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