Obama Waited For GOP To Reveal Deficit-Reduction Hand Before Showing His

President Obama has been criticized for not leading with a major proposal to cut federal spending, letting Republicans go first. But now he is able to present his own proposal as a response to the most controversial aspects of the GOP plan, the cuts to entitlements and no tax increases for the rich.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/04/11/135316923/obama-waited-for-gop-to-reveal-its-deficit-reduction-hand-before-showing-his?ft=1&f=1014

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The Root: The Price Of Funding Jails Over Schools

As government budget battles become more and more heated, Latoya Peterson of The Root examines a new NAACP report which argues that spending more on education and less on incarceration could turn around many minority communities.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/11/135311793/the-root-the-price-of-funding-jails-over-schools?ft=1&f=1057

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France's Burqa Ban Adds To Anti-Muslim Climate

A law in France that forbids Muslim women from wearing face coverings in public goes into effect Monday. President Nicolas Sarkozy pushed for the law, saying the veils are an assault on French values and equality of the sexes. Critics say the president trying to boost his flagging popularity in a country increasingly wary of its growing Muslim population.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/11/135305409/frances-burqa-ban-adds-to-anti-muslim-climate?ft=1&f=1004

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Which Children Should Get New Jersey's Funding?

New Jersey has long been under court order to provide extra funding for schools in low-income districts, and for the past 12 years, that has included full-day preschool. But now, facing dire budget cuts, some legislators are questioning whether the state's education system can afford to boost the school readiness of 3- and 4-year-olds and would rather see the money spent on middle- and upper-income schools.

In Newark, the Ironbound Community Center runs a neighborhood preschool in a gleaming new building that provides 150 children — mostly from low-income, minority families — with a full day of learning through play.

On a recent day, some kids worked on writing their names in a small group with a teacher, others played with blocks and another cluster played inside a cardboard castle. Programs like these are offered free to all children in New Jersey school districts that have a high percentage of low-income kids.

"Children play with each other; conversation is always encouraged," school director Grace Blanco says. To qualify for the state funding, Blanco says, her preschool must have certified teachers, small class sizes and a curriculum based on research that has found young children learn best through play and conversation.

"Teachers talk to children, ask questions — open-ended questions. The children really choose what they want to do and how they're going to play," she says.

Without this free preschool, Blanco says, many of these kids would be in a low-cost day care watching TV, and that's one of the reasons most poor children arrive at kindergarten behind middle- and upper-income classmates.

A Good Cause, But Costly

The National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University has followed the impact of these high-quality preschools on low-income children. Its director, Steven Barnett, says New Jersey has made considerable progress in closing the gap in skills between high- and low-income kids when they arrive on the first day of kindergarten.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/10/134403367/which-children-should-get-new-jerseys-funding?ft=1&f=1014

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The World's Tallest Tree Is Hiding Somewhere In California

It's good to be the king, but in the world of trees, the title of tallest or biggest can be fleeting. The current tallest champ is in California ? but no one wants to divulge where.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/04/08/135206497/the-worlds-tallest-tree-is-hiding-somewhere-in-california?ft=1&f=1007

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How we got to the verge of a shutdown

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The fiscal year is 189 days old, and the federal government is still operating without a long-term spending bill. And now, if lawmakers can't cut a deal, the government will shut down.

Usually, lawmakers make some effort to pass a real, 365-day budget. Not this year.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/XZC6CJMifno/index.htm

harry reid john mccain al gore bill clinton newt gingrich

Back To Work, Detroit Symphony Strikes Up The Band

After a bitter, six-month strike by members of the Detroit Symphony, an agreement was ratified and concertgoers flocked to a free concert Saturday. Host Liane Hansen reports that another capacity crowd is expected at a performance Sunday.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/10/135289361/back-to-work-detroit-symphony-strikes-up-the-music?ft=1&f=1003

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