Tiny Gems: Irish Stories That Sparkle And Charm

The sound of the sea, the smell of rain ? what makes Ireland such a magical place? Maybe its writers like Claire Keegan who tease the nuance and grace out of everyday interactions. Author Keith Donohue says each of Keegan's stories is a morsel worth savoring.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/29/136999955/tiny-gems-irish-stories-that-sparkle-and-charm?ft=1&f=1057

george w bush nancy pelosi harry reid john mccain al gore

Europe's Big Mistake

James Surowiecki, The New Yorker
In July, 2008, on the eve of the biggest financial crisis in memory, the European Central Bank did something both predictable and stupid: it raised interest rates. The move was predictable because the E.C.B.’s president, Jean-Claude Trichet, was an inflation hawk; he worried about rising oil and food prices and saw a rate hike as a way of tamping them down. But the move was also remarkably ill timed. The crisis was already under way, European economic growth had slowed to a crawl, and within a couple of months the global economy had collapsed, inflation had disappeared, and the...

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/08/29/europe039s_big_mistake_262465.html

nancy pelosi harry reid john mccain al gore bill clinton

Can Romney Survive the Perry Surge?

Toby Harnden, The Telegraph
Mitt Romney has been running for president for nigh on six years. He finished third last time around but he continued on, hardly missing a beat.The “new” 2012 Romney is making an effort to appear more ordinary. He is almost never seen in a suit or tie, instead wearing chinos and Oxford shirts. His famously perfect hair is now slightly messed up. Gone is the presidential-style entourage of 2008. Now he travels in a single Chevy Suburban.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/08/28/can_romney_survive_the_perry_surge_262414.html

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Big-Box Stores' Hurricane Prep Starts Early

Retailers such as Walmart and Home Depot have turned hurricane preparation into a science ? one that government emergency agencies have begun to embrace. They've deployed hundreds of trucks carrying everything from plywood to Pop-Tarts to stores in the storm's path.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/26/139941596/big-box-stores-hurricane-prep-starts-early?ft=1&f=1007

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Perry's Presence Felt At Romney's N.H. Appearances

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney has been meeting with voters in New Hampshire. At this week's town hall sessions, he's faced tough questions about climate change and the future of Medicare and Social Security. Romney downplayed new polls showing he is no longer the GOP presidential frontrunner, thanks to a surge by new candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/26/139964589/perrys-presence-felt-during-romneys-appearances?ft=1&f=1014

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Let School Choice Prevail

George Will, Washington Post
The red stone outcropping that gives this community its name is just a facet of the histrionic geology of Douglas County that sprawls prettily along the front range of the Rockies south of Denver. The county is named, Lord knows why, for Stephen Douglas, who defeated Abraham Lincoln in Illinois' 1858 U.S. Senate election. Lincoln opposed Douglas's repugnant "popular sovereignty" plan for allowing territories to vote for or against accepting slavery. Today, Douglas County has an admirable plan for popular sovereignty in education "” school choice.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/08/28/let_school_choice_prevail_262401.html

bill clinton newt gingrich sarah palin al sharpton bill oreilly

Families Mark Five Years Since Flight 5191 Crash

This weekend is the five-year anniversary of the crash of Comair Flight 5191. Forty-nine people died when the plane took off from the wrong runway at Lexington's Blue Grass airport. Brenna Angel of member station WUKY spoke with three victims' relatives about how they continue to cope and what a new memorial means to them.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/28/140017362/families-mark-five-years-since-flight-5191-crash?ft=1&f=1003

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SEC Jumps Into Fight Over Fracking

The Securities and Exchange Commission is jumping into the fight over hydraulic fracturing. Drillers could be required to tell investors more about the risks associated with the controversial practice. This, as federal geologists estimate the Northeast's Marcellus Shale could contain even more gas than first thought.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/25/139952857/sec-jumps-into-fight-over-fracking?ft=1&f=1007

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