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The Center for American Progress, a think-tank closely associated with President Obama, offered up a deal on Wednesday on how to cut the deficit by reducing spending for Medicare without, it says, hurting seniors.

Hay prices are up sharply because of the drought across much of the nation. So hay bales sitting in fields have become hot properties. So much so, in fact, that a sheriff in Oklahoma put a GPS tracker in one bale. It helped him track down the suspects.

Zakale Creations is a jewelry-designing operation that employs 30 young people — former thieves and prostitutes. The Nairobi-based operation is the brainchild of John Mucheru, himself a former mugger.

Republicans in the Senate on Tuesday blocked ratification of a U.N. treaty that would have helped countries protect the rights of disabled people. It was inspired by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Opponents argued, among other things, it would threaten the ability of parents in this country to home school their children.

When it was released 32 years ago, Michael Cimino's revisionist Western was considered one of the most colossal flops in Hollywood history. Critic John Powers takes a second look at the film and concludes that it's clearly "the work of one man and ... he wanted you to remember it forever."

Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera was killed in a plane crash over the weekend. She's remembered as a legendary vocalist, selling over 15 million albums, and earning three Latin Grammy nominations. Host Michel Martin pays tribute to Rivera with Jasmine Garsd, co-host of NPR's online music program, Alt.Latino.

Of the 535 members of Congress, not many are in the loop about negotiations to avoid automatic spending cuts and tax increases in the new year. Lawmakers are waiting to see what President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner come up with — and some are nervous about having to quickly vote on a bill despite misgivings.

Last month's ballot initiative that legalized marijuana contained a deal-sweetener for hesitant voters — a new DUI standard that may make life riskier for regular pot users. Regular users of medical marijuana say they'll be stuck on the wrong side of the law.

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.

President Francois Hollande says the extra work penalizes students with difficult home situations, proposing doing away with homework in elementary and junior high schools. But others argue the individual work is exactly what those students need to succeed.