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The Two-Way
2:24 pm
Fri May 17, 2013

Former Argentine Dictator Who Oversaw Death Squads Dies At 87

Credit Eduardo Di Baia / AP
Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla (center) is sworn in as president in Buenos Aires after seizing power in 1976.

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 3:19 pm

Jorge Rafael Videla, an ambitious Army chief who seized power in Argentina in 1976 and orchestrated a campaign of terror against his opponents, has died in prison at age 87.

Videla, whose "Dirty War" killed at least 15,000 people, perhaps twice as many, died of natural causes in Argentina's Marcos Paz prison, where he was serving multiple life sentences for crimes against humanity, officials said.

After leading a bloodless coup that toppled President Isabel Martinez de Peron on March 24, 1976, Videla became the head of a junta.

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The Two-Way
2:05 pm
Fri May 17, 2013

Aw-Inspiring Video: Sea Lion Worries When Little Girl Falls

Credit Live Leak
Just before the fall, and the sea lion's wonderful reaction.

Take a break from the scandal du jour for something that's just darn nice.

A little girl was running in circles at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., this week. On the other side of a window, a sea lion was mimicking her moves — playing something of a game of tag without the tagging part.

Until, that is, the little miss tripped and fell. We think you'll enjoy the sea lion's reaction.

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The Salt
12:48 pm
Fri May 17, 2013

Flax Seed: The Next Superfood For Cows And Beef?

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 1:41 pm

Flax is the oily seed usually spotted in the nutritional supplement or cereal aisles. It's marketed as a superfood because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.

Omega-3s may do all kinds of good things for humans — like protect against Alzheimer's, heart disease and even cancer — so it seems reasonable to think they could also protect the health of animals.

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Shots - Health News
12:47 pm
Fri May 17, 2013

Doctors Confirm Black Lung In Victims Of Mine Blast

Credit Jeff Gentner / AP
A memorial at the entrance to Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine represents the 29 coal miners who were killed in an explosion in 2010.

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 5:16 pm

The tragic deaths of 29 coal miners in a massive explosion in 2010 have provided new evidence of a resurgence of the disease known as black lung.

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The Two-Way
12:41 pm
Fri May 17, 2013

Washington Green? State Creates Logo For Legal Pot

T-shirts will surely be made:

Along with draft rules for how to become a licensed grower or seller of marijuana, the Washington State Liquor Control Board this week released the official "icon logo" that will need to be put on packages of pot and "marijuana-infused products sold at retail."

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Shots - Health News
11:43 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Biking To Work: Healthful Until You Hit A Pothole

Credit John Rose / NPR
Bartender Matt Carucci told NPR in 2012 that he rarely feels safe biking in the city but often rides without a helmet anyway. "There are a lot of other ways to hurt yourself," he said.

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 1:19 pm

There's a lot to love about biking to work: the exercise, the fresh air, the cost savings and the benefits for the environment.

But does it make you healthier?

That's a question that's not as easy to answer as you might think. But since today is Bike to Work Day, we'll give it a try.

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The Two-Way
10:52 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Famed Race Driver Dick Trickle Dies, Suicide Suspected

Credit Bill Hall / Getty Images
Dick Trickle at the start of a NASCAR race in 1993.

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 12:36 pm

Dick Trickle, a "short-track hero" in the '70s and '80s who moved to the NASCAR circuit later in his career, died Thursday.

According to The Charlotte Observer, the 71-year-old was killed by "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lincoln County [N.C.] deputies said."

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13.7: Cosmos And Culture
10:45 am
Fri May 17, 2013

The Mutable Meanings Of Music

Credit Gary Merrin / Getty Images
Drummer Roger Taylor and singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of the British rock band Queen perform at the Playhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1st September 1976.

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 4:23 pm

The Two-Way
10:25 am
Fri May 17, 2013

For Trainer Of Derby Champion, 'My Dream Came True'

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 1:26 pm

All eyes may be on Orb, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the favorite to win Saturday's Preakness Stakes, but behind this feisty bay colt is a quiet, humble man named Shug McGaughey who has one thing on his mind: his job.

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Monkey See
10:24 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Cancellation Blues And Cultural Etiquette

Credit NPR
  • Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour

To mark network upfronts week, we talk in this episode about the cancellation of shows, including the ones that came and went that we honestly can hardly remember as well as the ones — like ABC's delightful, hilarious Happy Endings — that break our hearts.

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Krulwich Wonders...
9:56 am
Fri May 17, 2013

What Did I Do Last Summer? Oh, I Discovered How To Make Babies Without Sex. And You?

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 11:26 am

Ah, if only all summers could be like June, July and August 1740 — when three young guys (and a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old) did a science experiment that startled the world. In those days, you could do biology without a fancy diploma. More people could play.

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The Two-Way
8:57 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes

Credit David McNew / Getty Images
Amazon's U.K. unit racked up sales of $6.5 billion last year, but only paid $3.7 million in corporate taxes.

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 9:39 am

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

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The Two-Way
8:54 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Gingrich Cautions GOP About 'Overreach' On Scandals

Credit Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT /Landov
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in April 2012.

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 11:36 am

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was front-and-center during the Republican-led impeachment of President Clinton in 1998, is cautioning his GOP colleagues about the risk of appearing to be too eager as they dig into the scandals now dogging the Obama administration.

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Monkey See
8:32 am
Fri May 17, 2013

Notes On A 'Scandal': Fitz Is The Most Dumpable Man On Television

Credit Randy Holmes / ABC
Tony Goldwyn as Fitz on Scandal.

If you watch Scandal, you know that there, Fitzgerald Grant is the President of the United States, and that he goes by "Fitz." Now "Fitz," let's face it, is already a pretty punchable name, given that combined with his personality, it makes him sound like somebody with a beanie and a lot of polo shirts grew up, got even richer, had a son, and taught him how to give swirlies to the math team. Fitz is involved, on and off (currently off, or possibly on, but maybe off) (maybe half-off, like end-of-the-season shoes), with Olivia Pope.

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