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Television
2:10 am
Thu July 26, 2012

At Bravo, A Pop-Culture Kingpin Works Day And Night

Credit Heidi Gutman / Bravo
Andy Cohen on the set of his nightly Bravo talk show, Watch What Happens: Live. Cohen is also Bravo's executive vice president of development and talent, and has helped make Bravo a pop-culture heavyweight.

Originally published on Thu July 26, 2012 8:35 am

Andy Cohen has been yakking for most of his 44 years. He has a book titled Most Talkative — a title he earned in high school.

"My mouth has been my greatest asset and also my biggest Achilles' heel," he says.

Most days, it's an asset.

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Asia
2:09 am
Thu July 26, 2012

In Pakistan, Sounds Of A Different Kind Of Drone

Originally published on Thu July 26, 2012 8:35 am

Bagpipes and Scotland? Aye, it's a natural association: Played for centuries, the instrument is especially identified with the Scottish military and traditional Scottish dress, tartan kilts and shawls.

But bagpipes and Pakistan? Nae, you say? Think again.

Turns out no place in the world manufactures more bagpipes than Pakistan. And no city in Pakistan makes more of them than Sialkot.

Bagpipe Central

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Latin America
2:09 am
Thu July 26, 2012

Acid Attacks A Rising Menace For Colombian Women

Originally published on Thu July 26, 2012 8:55 am

A brutal crime more commonly associated with Pakistan or India is now on the rise in South America: Jealous husbands, spurned lovers and, in a few cases, even perfect strangers are dousing women with sulfuric or nitric acids, literally burning off their faces.

In Colombia, the horrific trend is terrorizing women and alarming officials.

Among those disfigured by such an attack is Consuelo Cordoba, 51, who was assaulted a decade ago by her former partner and lives a life of endless physical and psychological pain.

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Business
2:09 am
Thu July 26, 2012

For Temp Workers, 'Temp' Looking More Permanent

Credit Ric Francis / AP
Job applicants outside the Staffmark temp agency in Cypress, Calif., in 2005. Temp hiring is usually a harbinger of an improving job market, but some analysts say more employers may be considering temps as a more permanent staffing solution.

Originally published on Thu July 26, 2012 4:11 pm

While the job market remains sluggish, temporary work is one area that's done very well in the economic recovery. Companies are keeping their temps longer and are even using them to fill professional and high-ranking positions.

The average daily number of temporary workers employed during the first quarter of 2012 was more than 2.5 million. That's up from a low of 2.1 million in early 2009, according to the American Staffing Association.

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Inside Rebel-Held Syria
2:08 am
Thu July 26, 2012

Unspinning The Narrative Of The Tremseh Massacre

Originally published on Thu July 26, 2012 8:12 pm

Fourth of five parts

At least 100 people were killed earlier this month in a Syrian village called Tremseh. Activists called the deaths a massacre of innocent civilians by government forces, but later reports suggested it was something different. After spending a week with rebel fighters in the country, I discovered some previously untold details about the killings.

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The Two-Way
4:58 pm
Wed July 25, 2012

Farewell, Buckyballs: Consumer Agency Files Suit Against Magnetic Toys

Credit CPSC
Buckyballs.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued its first stop-sale order in 11 years, saying the magnetic toys called Buckyballs "pose a substantial risk of injury to the public," Reuters is reporting.

The CPSC has been trying to curb injuries with this toy since 2010, when it issued a recall of Buckyballs intended for those 14 years and younger. But those efforts haven't helped, the agency said when it announced that it has filed a complaint seeking to stop the company from selling the product.

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It's All Politics
4:56 pm
Wed July 25, 2012

Interviewing Scalia: Verbal Wrestling Match With A Master

Originally published on Thu July 26, 2012 12:31 pm

I've gotten a lot of email about my interview with Justice Antonin Scalia on Tuesday. People seem to have liked the story because they could see the justice as a human being — combative, funny, engaging and charming.

That's why I and so many other folks always enjoy spending time with him.

So, take this exchange from our interview. Only part of it was in my piece on air, or even the longer piece on the Web.

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The Two-Way
3:44 pm
Wed July 25, 2012

California's Jerry Brown: Water Tunnel Shows 'I Want To Get [Stuff] Done'

Credit Rich Pedroncelli / AP
Gov. Jerry Brown waits for the start of a news conference to announce plans to build a giant twin tunnel system to move water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farmland and cities.

Originally published on Wed July 25, 2012 5:29 pm

Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a new $23.7 billion proposal that would build a twin tunnel system to carry water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta over to the southern part of the state.

Water in Southern California has become an intractable problem. The frustration was evident at the press conference, when Brown dropped a four-letter expletive.

The Sacramento Bee reports:

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Money & Politics
3:37 pm
Wed July 25, 2012

Part Of Romney's Foreign Itinerary: Raising Money

Credit Charles Dharapak / AP
A campaign sticker for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is seen on a sign for Romney Street in London on Wednesday, as Romney arrived to meet with leaders, hold fundraisers and attend the opening of the Olympics.

Originally published on Wed July 25, 2012 5:29 pm

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is on a weeklong trip in which he's scheduled to meet with three prime ministers, give two speeches and attend the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics. On a more practical level, he'll also raise some campaign cash.

This trip is designed to highlight how Romney would fix the failings he sees in President Obama's foreign policy.

Romney opened his attack Tuesday while still in the U.S. In an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Reno, Nev., he lit into the Obama administration's relationship with Israel.

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Shots - Health Blog
3:15 pm
Wed July 25, 2012

Flaws And All, Medicaid Can Improve Adults' Health

Credit iStockphoto.com
A budget crunch in Oregon led to an unintended experiment that helped researchers assess Medicaid's effect on adults' health.

Among the reasons some governors say they're considering not expanding their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act is that Medicaid is, well, not a very good program.

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