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Shots - Health Blog
2:37 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

Kids Exposed To Meth In Womb Can Struggle With Behavior Problems

Credit iStockphoto.com
Children exposed to meth may have more problems with anxiety and depression.

Children who are exposed to methamphetamine before birth can have behavior problems as young as age 3, a new study finds. But those problems are manageable, the researchers say, especially if the children and their parents get help early on.

"These kids are not cracked and broken," says Linda LaGasse, an associate professor of pediatrics and Brown University Medical School, and lead author of the study. "But they do have problems that are worthy of note."

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The Two-Way
2:29 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

As Pope Visit Nears, Cuba Detains Dissidents, Mexican Cartel Calls For Truce

Credit Dario Lopez-Mills / AP
In this Feb. 29, 2012 photo, people riding on a bus pass a banner of Pope Benedict XVI on the wall of a church in Leon, Mexico.

Pope Benedict XVI is set to begin his tour to Mexico and Cuba on Friday. It will mark the pope's first visit to Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.

With his visit, there have been two interesting developments:

-- First comes news that over the weekend, the Knights Templars Cartel in Mexico called for a temporary halt in the violence while the pope is in town.

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The Two-Way
1:45 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

Ahead Of Another 'Key' Primary, Romney Leads Illinois Polls

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Springfield, Ill., today.

This week the action in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination is in Illinois, which holds its primary Tuesday.

In advance of that contest, Public Policy Polling is out with a new survey that it says shows "Mitt Romney is headed for a blowout victory." It has the former Massachusetts governor ahead of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum 45 percent to 30 percent (with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul trailing far behind).

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Middle East
1:39 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

New Sanction Severely Limits Iran's Global Commerce

Credit Vahid Salemi / AP
Iran has been denied access to the worldwide messaging system used to arrange money transfers, a move that is expected to affect Iran's oil exports and economy. The South Pars gas field in Assalouyeh, Iran, is shown here in 2010.

Iran has faced international sanctions for more than three decades, which have hurt, but never crippled its economy.

Now, a new move by a relatively obscure financial institution in Europe could make it much more difficult for Iran to do basic things crucial to its economy, such as selling oil and obtaining hard currency.

As of Saturday, many Iranian banks, including the Central Bank, have been refused access to a worldwide financial messaging system that's used to arrange transfers of money.

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The Two-Way
1:05 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

Reports: Peyton Manning Headed To The Denver Broncos

Credit Rob Carr / Getty Images
Peyton Manning, who may soon trade that Colts blue for Broncos red.

Peyton Manning, one of the two or three best quarterbacks in recent years and one of the greatest ever, is close to signing a contract to play for the NFL's Denver Broncos, according to multiple reports.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter say the deal is done "barring a snag during intensified contract negotiations" between the team and Manning's agent, Tom Condon. They cite "multiple sources."

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Europe
1:03 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

Young Russian Politician Fights From The Bottom Up

Credit Martha Wexler / NPR
Maxim Motin, 28, was elected to a municipal council in Pechatniki, his working class district in Moscow.

Russians continue to take to the streets to air their grievances against the government of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. But now, after Putin's election this month to a six-year term as president, the crowds number only in the hundreds — not the tens of thousands that turned out before the vote.

In the words of writer Boris Akunin, a popular speaker at the earlier rallies: "The civic movement has entered a new phase. The first phase, romantic and euphoric, is over."

Now is the time, Akunin says, for power to develop from the bottom up.

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The Two-Way
12:57 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

Winter's Last Stand: Arizona Is Pummeled By Snow

While most of the country has been enjoying spring-like temperatures for weeks now, parts of Arizona got a pretty significant visit from a waning winter: CNN reports that "the city of Flagstaff is still digging out of 10 to 14 inches of snow from the weekend, which prompted school closings in the city for Monday. The city of Prescott received 8 to 12 inches."

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Law
12:00 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

In Rutgers Verdict, Even Judge Found "Muddled" Law

A New Jersey jury found 19-year-old Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi guilty of a hate crime for using his webcam to spy on his roommate Tyler Clementi. Clementi was having an intimate encounter with another man in their dorm room and a few days later he committed suicide. Host Michel Martin discusses the case with law professor Jessica Henry.

News
12:00 pm
Mon March 19, 2012

Retraction: This American Life Audio

Last month, Tell Me More used audio of storyteller Mike Daisey, who had been featured in a public radio story on the show This American Life. Last Friday, This American Life host Ira Glass retracted the story, saying it "contained numerous fabrications." Host Michel Martin notes the use of part of the retracted story on Tell Me More.

Europe
11:12 am
Mon March 19, 2012

Russian Court Case Underscores Corruption Concerns

Originally published on Mon March 19, 2012 2:51 pm

A high-profile court case in Moscow has again put the spotlight on Russia's judiciary — an issue that opposition protesters often cite as one reason they've taken to the streets.

The Presnenski District Court handed down a five-year prison sentence last Thursday to prominent businessman Alexei Kozlov on charges of fraud and money laundering. The case has attracted wide attention as it has worked its way through Russia's court system for four years. Kozlov was accused of wrongdoing by his former business partner, Vladimir Slutzker, a wealthy ex-member of the Russian Senate.

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