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8:53 am
Mon October 15, 2012

Chicano Activist Sees Dream Live On In Her Sons

Rosie Castro was a Mexican-American civil rights activist during the 1970s. She passed down her passion for change to her children: Texas State Representative Joaquin Castro and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. For Hispanic Heritage Month, Rosie Castro speaks with host Michel Martin about the Chicano movement and raising her twin sons.

Election 2012
8:53 am
Mon October 15, 2012

Which Polls To Believe As Election Nears?

A poll out from ABC News and The Washington Post on Monday, shows President Obama with a slight edge over GOP nominee Mitt Romney. As the candidates head into Tuesday night's debate, host Michel Martin gets the latest on election news from Republican strategist Ron Christie and Corey Ealons, a former Obama White House advisor.

It's All Politics
8:46 am
Mon October 15, 2012

What They're Saying In Swing Counties

Last week, we discussed state-by-state differences in online conversations around the issue of unemployment. That analysis of millions of words from news posts, blogs and user comments showed how the conversation in the swing states of Florida, Ohio and Virginia varies greatly because of cultural and socioeconomic factors.

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Books
7:20 am
Mon October 15, 2012

Some Book! 'Charlotte's Web' Turns 60

Sixty years ago, the book Charlotte's Web first appeared in print. This children's classic is often seen as a story of a spider and a pig. But when E.B. White recorded a narration of the book, he said something different: "This is a story of the barn. I wrote it for children, and to amuse myself."

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The Two-Way
7:15 am
Mon October 15, 2012

Mystery Solved: 'Softball-Sized Eyeball' Likely Belongs To A Swordfish

Credit Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Quite a baby blue.

We learned two things this morning: First, experts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission believe that the softball-sized eyeball that washed up in Pompano Beach, Fla. belongs to a swordfish.

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The Salt
6:59 am
Mon October 15, 2012

A Nose Tuned In To Bitter May Help Stave Off Sinus Infection

Credit iStockphoto.com
If you're a supertaster with a nose for bitter flavors, scientists say you might be good at fighting sinus infections.

Supertasters are the Olympic athletes of gastronomy, able to detect subtle differences in flavors that other people never register. That talent may make for more than a discriminating palate, though. It may also warn them about attacking germs, and help them defend themselves against sinus infection.

This notion isn't as bizarre as it may seem. Bitter tastes have long been considered a danger signal in foods, warning about potential toxins in potatoes and other vegetables. If the potato's bitter, don't eat it.

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The Two-Way
6:54 am
Mon October 15, 2012

Scotland Set To Vote On Independence In 2014

Credit Ian MacNicol / Getty Images
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Prime Minister David Cameron shake hands after signing an Independence Referendum deal in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Originally published on Mon October 15, 2012 9:31 am

In what's being called a "historic agreement," Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond have hammered out a deal will allow Scotland to decide if it wants to secede from the United Kingdom. The question will be settled in a 2014 referendum.

The AP reports:

"Officials from London and Edinburgh have been meeting for weeks to hammer out details of a vote on Scottish independence. Sticking points included the date and the wording of the question. ...

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Monkey See
6:00 am
Mon October 15, 2012

A Day Later, The Space Jump Guy Is Okay, But How About The Rest Of Us?

Credit Red Bull Stratos / AP
Felix Baumgartner of Austria as he jumps out of the capsule during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos on Sunday.

Originally published on Mon October 15, 2012 6:23 am

More than 7 million people were watching as Felix Baumgartner sat at the edge of his space capsule yesterday 24 miles off the ground and got ready to jump, in what was known as the "Red Bull Stratos" project, better known as the "space jump." I saw it myself; he opened the door, and there was something there that certainly seemed to be space.

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The Two-Way
5:51 am
Mon October 15, 2012

VIDEO: A Skydive From The Edge Of Space

Credit Joerg Mitter / AP
Pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria and technical project director Art Thompson celebrate after Baumgartner completed a skydive from the stratosphere Sunday.
The Two-Way
5:22 am
Mon October 15, 2012

Malala, 15-Year-Old Pakistani Girl Shot By Taliban, Airlifted To Britain

Credit T. Mughal / EPA /LANDOV
Malala Yousafzai in March 2012.

Malala, the 15-year-old shot in the head by the Taliban, has been airlifted to Britain, the Pakistani government said in a press release today.

The government said that they were "pleased with her present condition, which has been described as optimal."

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