Snake River School Community Library

It took over five years for Nathaniel Rich to finish his first novel — maybe because he was writing The Mayor's Tongue secretly, first as a college student, and then while writing film criticism during the day.

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Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's visit to Italy last week has stirred controversy. His remarks on Islam angered church officials, while Italian politicians worry about Libya's growing clout in the Italian economy, as well as its human rights violations.

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The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says a Florida church's plan to burn copies of the Muslim holy book could put U.S. troops in the country in harm's way and inflame anti-Americanism.

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The costs of defensive medicine practiced by doctors guarding against lawsuits are real, but not nearly as high as some have claimed. Even so, it's probably worth trying to tame them, some policy analysts say.

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The attack appeared to be an effort to break into the facility, which is holding suspected members of a radical Muslim sect.

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The Food and Drug Administration slammed Unilever, maker of Lipton teas, for touting specific health benefits from tea drinking, such as lowering cholesterol. The agency says the company's unproven claims would make the beverage a drug.

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President Obama wants to shift the political debate away from big versus small government and toward a discussion of whether or not the government works. Proving effectiveness requires more transparency, and the administration has used online tools to do that, but many Americans still await results.

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Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who has been in office since 1989 and who is set to break his late father's longevity record on Christmas, announced today he will not seek re-election in 2011.

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The 68-year-old Democrat has been mayor since 1989. He announced the decision Tuesday, saying it was "a personal decision, no more, no less."

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New York has the highest cigarette tax in the nation, but about a third of the cigarettes sold in the state aren't taxed because they're purchased online or at smoke shops run by American Indians. The state now hopes to collect sales tax on cigarettes sold to non-natives on tribal lands.

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Not much is known about the life of the rabbi and Talmudic scholar Hillel, who lived 2,000 years ago, but his teachings have shaped Judaism. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin's forthcoming book Hillel: If Not Now, When? argues that Hillel has as much to teach the 21 Century as he did his own.

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Much of the scientific effort that has followed the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has focused on how much oil escaped and where it's gone. But many biologists say they're puzzled by the lack of an organized research effort to measure the damage.

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It's been two months since our last review of the 37 Senate races at stake, and the news is less favorable for the Democrats.  And if the trends continue, the Republicans have a legitimate shot at capturing a majority; they need a net of 10.

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Is there anything a president can do to escape widespread criticism? Get another job, perhaps. Historians say it's in Americans' DNA to turn on whoever is in the White House. We've been doing it since the beginning.

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Green building now accounts for close to one-third of new U.S. construction. That's up from 2 percent in 2005, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, which tracks the industry. The U.S. Green Building Council, and its LEED rating system, have changed construction practice -- and policy -- around the country.

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There's a way to dramatically cut the deficit -- by simply letting the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire. But President Obama has vowed not to raise taxes on most Americans, a pledge that would add billions to the deficit every year. And, fiscal watchdogs note, the "Bush tax cuts" would then become Obama's.

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A small study of the active ingredient in "magic mushroom" found the drug helped relieve anxiety and improve the mood of some patients with advanced cancer. Though preliminary, the results support further research, the scientists say.

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Millions of tourists and commuters bore the brunt of discontent over government austerity measures. Service was cut on trains, planes, buses and subways in France, while much of London's subway system was closed in the first of several 24-hour strikes planned for this fall.

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There's a critical shortage of Afghan civil service workers in southern Afghanistan. In dangerous regions such as Helmand and Kandahar, the insurgency has gained strength because the Afghan government is either corrupt -- or not around.

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Every time power shifts between the major parties in Washington, pundits and prognosticators say there's been a sea change. But in truth, voters can and often do change their minds quickly about who should be in charge.

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