U.S.

Camden City Police Chief Scott Thomson says he has shooting investigations "backlogging like burglary cases." Half of his force was laid off last year, and the city says expensive benefits in the police union contract are preventing them from hiring more

Crime-Ridden Camden To Dump City Police Force

7:54pm December 06, 2012

by Ailsa Chang

Already this year, the New Jersey city has surpassed its previous record for murders. But despite the high crime rate, the city is laying off its police force. City officials, who say the unionized police force has too many perks, are now turning to the county to provide a larger and cheaper force. Critics say the move is a strategy to bust the union.

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Spelman College has dropped NCAA athletics in favor of a comprehensive fitness program. The school now offers classes like Zumba to help encourage all students to exercise more.

To Trim Down, Spelman Trades Sports For Fitness

6:40pm December 06, 2012

by Kathy Lohr

Officials at Spelman College, a historically black women's college in Atlanta, have decided to scrap the school's NCAA program. With few students participating in organized sports, the college has decided to devote those funds to a fitness program designed to reach the entire student body.

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House Speaker John Boehner appears at a news conference after a House Republican conference meeting Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

Boehner Faces Conservative Backlash Over 'Fiscal Cliff' Talks

6:40pm December 06, 2012

by Tamara Keith

As House Speaker John Boehner tries to work with President Obama to prevent automatic tax increases and spending cuts, he is taking heat from members of his own party. Some conservatives think he gave up too much, too soon in his opening offer.

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National

Mich. Approves 'Right To Work' Bill As Dems Walk Out

6:40pm December 06, 2012

Michigan's state house has voted to approve a "right-to-work" bill that would weaken the power of labor unions. Democrats walked out in protest. Audie Cornish talks to Rick Pluta of Michigan Public Radio.

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Atlantic City's boardwalk, with its shops, restaurants, casinos and hotels, was mostly protected during Hurricane Sandy by a dune restoration project. But TV images of one small section that was damaged gave the impression that the whole thing was destroy

National

Post-Sandy: Atlantic City Wants Its Tourists Back

4:24pm December 06, 2012

by David Schaper

A month after Hurricane Sandy pounded the New Jersey Shore, Atlantic City is back in business. Even though most of the casinos, restaurants and the famous boardwalk sustained very little damage in the storm, they're now suffering from a lack of visitors.

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French President Francois Hollande (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel take part in a bilateral meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on Nov. 22 as part of a European budget summit.

What Should The U.S. Learn From Europe's Woes?

4:21pm December 06, 2012

by Tom Gjelten

As President Obama and lawmakers try to find a formula for spending cuts and tax increases, they might look across the Atlantic for insights from those who have been wrestling with budget problems. The first lesson from Europe's "fiscal consolidation" experiences: It will hurt.

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Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan testifies about the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

White House To Seek Emergency Sandy Funds

10:24am December 06, 2012

by Brian Naylor

The Obama administration is expected to ask for $50 billion to $60 billion. Top administrators told Congress Wednesday that they want at least some of that money to go toward preventing the kind of devastation caused by Sandy and other recent storms.

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National

As Two States Legalize Pot, Tommy Chong Isn't Nostalgic About The Old Days

9:11pm December 05, 2012

by Mark Memmott

Washington state decriminalizes possession tonight. Colorado does so next month. Chong, one half of the stoner duo Cheech and Chong, is all in favor of the new laws. There isn't anything funny about being busted, the comic says.

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National

Texas Twang Fixin' To Ride Off Into The Sunset

8:25pm December 05, 2012

by Matt Largey

The way Texans speak, from using words like "y'all" to that old Texas twang, is iconic in American culture. But linguists say the twang is fading — and that, in a few decades, "talking Texan" may sound quite different than it does today.

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House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, takes questions as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., look on during a Capitol Hill news conference on Wednesday.

Obama And House GOP Engage In Fiscal Cliff Talks, Only Briefly With Each Other

6:30pm December 05, 2012

by Mara Liasson

The president and House Republicans continued to snipe at each other Wednesday over the impending set of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff. President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner later spoke briefly by phone for the first time in a week, according to reports.

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