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Two stories out of China — the escape of a blind dissident from house arrest and the corruption scandal involving a top politician and his family — have attracted international attention. But inside China, the picture is different. The government has successfully suppressed the story about the dissident, Chen Guangcheng, such that most Chinese have never even heard of him. The Communist Party has waged a smear campaign against the fallen official, Bo Xilai, whom citizens see as a loser in a power struggle, a corrupt politician or both.

President Obama formally kicks off his campaign Saturday with a pair of rallies: one in Richmond, Va., and one in Columbus, Ohio. NPR's Scott Horsley joins host Scott Simon to talk about the day.

In 2011, savers earned almost no interest in savings accounts. That was painful because consumer prices were rising by nearly 3.5 percent. Investors also found it tough going. Most stocks declined, with prices falling by roughly 5 percent across the board. But there were some bright spots: gold and bonds.

The same laid-back attitude and openness to outsiders that draws tourists to the peaceful country has also attracted Mexican cartels and their Colombia cocaine suppliers. Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla says it tests Costa Rica's view of itself as a peaceful country in a violent region.

It can be expensive to learn to be an airplane mechanic, but once you become one, there are higher-paying opportunities in places like the military or the natural gas industry. For one airplane maintenance facility in Oklahoma City, that means hundreds of jobs go unfilled.

Former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney is on a campaign swing through New Hampshire. With the Iowa caucuses fast approaching, Romney is instead shoring up his position in the state that is key to his primary campaign strategy.

The Republican primaries may not officially be over, but political ads have moved on to the general election. With gas prices dominating discussion, President Obama's campaign released a TV ad this week defending the president's energy policy and directly attacking GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.

Food blogger Molly Wizenberg shares her advice for keeping fresh lettuce from rotting in the fridge, picking the tastiest springtime greens and dressing your salad in style.

The agency says trans fats, found in partially hydrogenated oils, raise the risk of heart disease. Even though food companies have drastically reduced their use of the oils, you can still find trans fat in microwavable popcorn, Crisco and all kinds of mass-produced baked goods.

Twenty-nine lawmakers are supposed to come up with a long-term budget deal by mid-December. They meet again Wednesday around a conference table, facing huge hurdles and led by two people who couldn't be more different: Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state and Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.