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The Torch
11:53 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Surprises: American Gymnast Weiber Fails To Qualify; Marathoner Radcliffe Injured

Credit Thomas Coex / AFP/Getty Images
U.S. gymnast Jordyn Wieber performs on the beam during the women's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event of the London Olympic Games on Sunday.

Originally published on Sun July 29, 2012 12:17 pm

Two big disappointments this morning: American gymnast and defending world champion Jordyn Wieber failed to qualify for the all-around finals.

The AP reports that it was nonetheless a great day for other Americans, who are favorites for gold:

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The Torch
11:12 am
Sun July 29, 2012

The Olympics' Salahi Moment: Mystery Woman Gatecrashes Opening Ceremony

Credit Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images
(FILES) A file picture taken on Friday shows a woman (2nd L), reportedly a student from Bangalore and an Olympic volunteer, walking next to India's flagbearer Sushil Kumar.

The Olympics have officially had a "Salahi moment." Remember, the White House gatecrashers? Well, on Friday during the opening ceremony, a young woman wearing a red jacket and turquoise pants was seen walking with the Indian delegation into Olympic stadium. Not only that, but she was walking alongside the flag bearer.

The only problem? No one knew who she was.

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The Torch
10:31 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Will U.S. Keep Its Grip On Olympic Basketball?

Credit Rob Carr / Getty Images
Kobe Bryant #10 of United States shoots the ball against Mickael Gelabale #15 of France during their Men's Basketball Game on Day 2 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Basketball Arena on Sunday.

Originally published on Sun July 29, 2012 11:37 am

Update at 11:28 a.m. An Easy Win:

With the help of a generous LeBron James, assisting more than he scored, the United States breezed through France 98 to 71.

It wasn't a flashy win, but it showed U.S. dominance.

During an interview after the game, Kevin Durant was asked how the team chooses which of the All Stars gets to a take a shot.

"We don't care who scores," he said.

Our Original Post Continues:

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The Torch
9:14 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Let's Catch Up: In Skeet, Kimberly Rhode Breaks Olympic Record During Qualifier

Originally published on Sun July 29, 2012 9:41 am

Good morning! While you were sleeping, American Kimberly Rhode broke the Olympic record when she missed only one of 75 targets during the qualifying round of women's skeet shooting.

(UPDATE at 9:20 a.m. ET. Rhode has won the gold.)

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It's All Politics
7:44 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Romney Camp Comments On Possible Israeli Action In Iran, Then Clarifies

Credit Uriel Sinai / Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a meeting at the prime minister's office Sunday in Jerusalem, Israel.

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 1:56 pm

If Israel felt it needed to strike Iran militarily to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, Mitt Romney would "respect that decision," a top foreign policy adviser said today.

Dan Senor spoke with reporters ahead of the presidential candidate's speech in Israel, scheduled for later in the day. Senor was "outlining the aggressive posture" Romney would take in his speech toward Iran, The Associated Press reports. According to Al-Jazeera:

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Economy
7:38 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Business In A Slump: Scraping By Three Years Later

Originally published on Sun July 29, 2012 11:58 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

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Sports
7:38 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Major Baseball Dreams In The Minor Leagues

Originally published on Sun July 29, 2012 11:58 am

While Major League baseball is big and epic, there's something magical about sitting in a small stadium. Guest host David Greene reports on the progress of Minor League Baseball player Tyler Saladino at one of his team's away games. Saladino is an infielder for Alabama's Birmingham Barons.

It's All Politics
6:34 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Politics Doesn't Trump All: A Bipartisan Love Story

Credit Marissa Alioto / NPR
Jessica Grounds and Wes McClelland say their Christian faith helps ease the tension of their disparate professional identities.

Originally published on Tue July 31, 2012 9:47 am

He advises a powerful House Republican. She recruits women into politics after years as a consultant for Democratic candidates.

He grew up conservative and likes to joke about the "money tree" at the Democratic National Convention. Her childhood home was politically progressive and included an autographed portrait from the Clinton White House.

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Americandy: Sweet Land Of Liberty
5:59 am
Sun July 29, 2012

In New Mexico, A Brittle Treat That Smolders

Originally published on Mon July 30, 2012 11:20 am

New Mexicans can get a little carried away with their chile peppers. There's chile beer, chile pizza, chile ice cream — you can find the smoldering flavors of chile peppers in just about anything.

And then there's chile brittle. Luis Flores, owner of chili brittle purveyor Las Cruces Candy Company, beats the summer heat by getting up at 3 a.m. to prepare his specialties.

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Election 2012
5:59 am
Sun July 29, 2012

Does Sen. Thune Have The Right Stuff For Romney?

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Mitt Romney gets a kick out of South Dakota Sen. John Thune's comments during a January rally in Dubuque, Iowa.

Originally published on Mon July 30, 2012 11:47 am

Mike Lee is one of the most conservative members of the Senate. The freshman Utah Republican was elected with strong Tea Party backing and, like Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, he's a man of the West.

Mention the possibility that Thune, 51, might team up with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and Lee's eyes light up: "I love John," he says. "He's articulate, passionate, collegial. I mean ... I think he'd be great."

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The Torch
5:24 pm
Sat July 28, 2012

Sunday, Day 3 Of The London 2012 Games: What's On Tap

Credit Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images
Satoshi Shimizu (left) of Japan celebrates his 10-9 points decision over Isaac Dogboe of Ghana, in their Round of 32 bantamweight bout at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The first full day of competition brought many close finishes in London.

The first full day of Olympic competition brought moments of tense excitement, in the pool and on the archery course, among other places. At the time of this post, China leads the overall medal count, with 6, followed by Italy and the United States, with 5. Four of China's medals are gold.

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Religion
4:53 pm
Sat July 28, 2012

U.S. Still Religious, But Trust In Institutions Wanes

Credit Michael Conroy / AP
The cross on the steeple of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Henryville, Ind. A recent Gallup poll says only 44 percent of Americans have "great confidence" in organized religion.

Originally published on Sat July 28, 2012 7:05 pm

Something is happening when it comes to religion in America.

Though more Americans go to church or believe in God than their counterparts in virtually every other Western country, fewer Americans now trust religious institutions. A recent Gallup poll showed that just 44 percent of Americans have a great deal of confidence in "the church or organized religion."

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Music
4:12 pm
Sat July 28, 2012

Across Latin America, Making Cumbia Modern

Credit Matilde Campodónico / Courtesy of the artist
Uruguayan musician and producer Juan Campodónico records as Campo.

Originally published on Sun July 29, 2012 9:21 am

The Torch
3:13 pm
Sat July 28, 2012

Making The Olympics Sound Right, From A 'Swoosh' To A 'Splash'

Originally published on Sat July 28, 2012 7:05 pm

The Olympic Games are officially under way, and we're watching sports many of us glimpse only every four years: gymnastics; track; judo. But we're willing to bet that the sports' sounds are just as memorable: the clanking of foils, the tick-tock of table tennis, the robotic "Take your mark!" before swimmers launch.

Those unique sounds are part of the Olympic experience. And it's one man's job to make sure we hear them clearly: Dennis Baxter, the official sound engineer for the Olympics. He's been at it since 1996.

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Movies I've Seen A Million Times
3:12 pm
Sat July 28, 2012

The Movie Kasi Lemmons Has 'Seen A Million Times'

Originally published on Sat July 28, 2012 7:05 pm

The weekends on All Things Considered series Movies I've Seen A Million Times features filmmakers, actors, writers and directors talking about the movies that they never get tired of watching.

For writer-director Kasi Lemmons, whose credits include Eve's Bayou, The Caveman's Valentine and Talk to Me, the movie she could watch a million times is John Carney's musical Once. "I was so taken by the filmmaking," Lemmons says.

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