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11:53 am
Wed January 9, 2013

Eyes Glazed? Cutting Through The Fiscal Talks

You might be feeling a bit hung over from all the 'fiscal cliff' negotiations. But the financial talks in Washington aren't over yet. In the coming months, the White House and Congress will face three major economic challenges. Host Michel Martin breaks down what you need to know for the next round of fiscal talks.

The Two-Way
11:40 am
Wed January 9, 2013

Reports: Obama Has Settled On Jack Lew, His Chief Of Staff, For Treasury

Credit Jonathan Ernst / Reuters /Landov
Jack Lew, current White House chief of staff. He's likely to be the nominee for treasury secretary.

Originally published on Thu January 10, 2013 6:46 am

Update: At 6 a.m. ET. Jan. 10, White House Announcement:

The White House has officially confirmed that President Obama will nominate his chief of staff, Jacob "Jack" Lew, to be the next Treasury secretary. According to a statement, the announcement is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET today (Thursday).

NPR's Scott Horsley had more about the nomination on Morning Edition.

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The Two-Way
10:05 am
Wed January 9, 2013

Many Injured When Ferry Hits Pier In Lower Manhattan

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
An injured person is moved to an ambulance following a ferry accident during rush hour in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday. At least 50 people were injured, according to news reports. The ferry ran into a pier, causing a large gash on its front side.

Originally published on Wed January 9, 2013 4:54 pm

"A commuter ferry had a hard landing when it pulled into a Lower Manhattan pier, injuring at least 53 people Monday morning," WABC-TV is reporting.

At least one person suffered a serious head injury, according to The Associated Press.

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Around the Nation
4:46 am
Wed January 9, 2013

Christie's State Of The State Focuses On Sandy

Originally published on Wed January 9, 2013 6:34 am

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday delivered his State-of-the-State speech. It contained no new policy objectives. It was designed to boost morale in state where he said 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

Around the Nation
4:46 am
Wed January 9, 2013

N.Y. Gov. Cuoma To Propose Gun Control Measures

Originally published on Wed January 9, 2013 8:59 pm

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

New York State already has some of the nation's toughest gun laws. And today Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to propose far-reaching new gun control measures during his State of the State address.

Getting those reforms through the state legislature may be another matter, as NPR's Joel Rose reports.

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Around the Nation
4:46 am
Wed January 9, 2013

NRA Vows To Stop Tuscon From Destroying Guns

Originally published on Wed January 9, 2013 1:14 pm

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband, Mark Kelly, have formed a political action committee to support prevention of gun violence. The announcement came Tuesday, the second anniversary of the mass shooting in Tucson that left six dead and wounded 13, including Giffords.

Churches and fire stations around the city rang bells in memory of the victims and in commemoration of other mass shootings since Tucson.

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Education
3:31 am
Wed January 9, 2013

Elite Colleges Struggle To Recruit Smart, Low-Income Kids

Credit Darren McCollester / Getty Images
Top schools like Harvard, seen here in 2000, often offer scholarships and other financial incentives, but they are finding it hard to increase the socioeconomic diversity on campus.

Originally published on Wed January 9, 2013 6:26 am

Across the United States, college administrators are poring over student essays, recommendation letters and SAT scores as they select a freshman class for the fall.

If this is like most years, administrators at top schools such as Harvard and Stanford will try hard to find talented high school students from poor families in a push to increase the socioeconomic diversity on campus and to counter the growing concern that highly selective colleges cater mainly to students from privileged backgrounds.

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Law
3:31 am
Wed January 9, 2013

Can Police Force Drunken Driving Suspects To Take Blood Test?

Credit Greg E. Mathieson / MAI/Landov
A photographic screen hangs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is undergoing renovations. On Wednesday, the justices will hear arguments in a case that asks whether police without a warrant can administer a blood test to a suspected drunken driver.

Originally published on Wed January 9, 2013 1:32 pm

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case testing whether police must get a warrant before forcing a drunken driving suspect to have his blood drawn.

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Sweetness And Light
3:17 am
Wed January 9, 2013

Steroid Accusations Likely To Bench Baseball Hall Of Fame Candidates

Credit Paul Sancya / AP
Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Morris throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees on Oct. 16. Morris is a candidate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame this year.

Originally published on Wed January 9, 2013 6:26 am

The results of this year's baseball Hall of Fame voting will be revealed on Wednesday.

Given the exit polling, it appears both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, as well as other candidates stained by accusations of steroid use, will not be admitted.

Among other reasons for not voting for them, I would suspect that accusations against Lance Armstrong for using performance-enhancing drugs in cycling is bound to have some carry-over effect. At a certain point, when the circumstantial evidence for drug use is so compelling, who can possibly believe these guys?

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Business
6:33 pm
Tue January 8, 2013

After The Fiscal Cliff, Businesses Say Some Uncertainty Remains

Credit Damian Dovarganes / AP
U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs in December, a steady gain that shows hiring held up during the tense negotiations to resolve the fiscal cliff. But the unemployment rate remained at 7.8 percent last month.

Originally published on Tue January 8, 2013 7:23 pm

Businesses complained that the uncertainty surrounding the "fiscal cliff" froze their decisions about hiring and expanding, which hurt the economy. Washington has now managed half a deal, which settles tax issues, at least for the time being. But has that removed enough uncertainty to boost some business hiring and investment?

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