NPR

Across the country, cash-strapped cities are coming up with novel ideas for raising money — imposing new charges on everything from sodas to library late fees to emergency-response services. With at least two more years of bad budgets ahead, look for cities to turn to niche taxes.

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A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake capable of tremendous damage struck central Chile early Saturday, shaking the capital for a minute and a half and setting off a tsunami.

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The Senate Banking Committee chairman plans to offer his own financial regulation bill without GOP support after a month of talks with Republican Sen. Bob Corker found some common ground but didn't yield agreement on consumer protections and other sticking points.

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that Pakistan has a key role to play in peace talks with the Taliban, a possible attempt to quash speculation that his government was trying to sideline its neighbor.

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There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries following the magnitude 7.2 temblor and at least three other aftershocks, which swayed buildings, shook windows and provoked nervous smiles among the dignitaries attending the presidential inauguration in Valparaiso.

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Greek police fired tear gas to disperse protesters throwing rocks and firebombs outside Parliament as tens of thousands of people marched through Athens to protest measures to cut the country's debt. The strike grounded all flights and brought public transport to a halt.

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The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in January, reflecting a big drop in imports of oil and foreign cars. American exports also fell, a potential blow to hopes that the economic recovery will be aided this year by U.S. sales abroad.

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The emerging consensus in Afghanistan is that military action alone will not win the war against the Taliban and a political solution will be necessary. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has reached out to some Taliban leaders. But analysts say the Taliban and the U.S. are not ready for full-scale negotiations — yet.

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Colleen LaRose, a petite, 46-year-old blonde from the Philadelphia suburbs, is accused of trolling the Internet as "Jihad Jane" to recruit others who might take part in possible terrorist attacks. She allegedly looked for people like herself — people who don't fit a terrorist profile that now seems to be falling by the wayside.

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Preliminary election results released by Iraq's electoral commission show Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is winning in two Shiite provinces in southern Iraq.

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Elkhart, Ind., is known as the RV-making capital of the world. The mayor wants to claim a new title: The electric vehicle capital of the world. Stimulus grants and other incentives are attracting companies planning to build electric vehicles to Elkhart. It's hoped the electric vehicles will fill the void created by a serious slump in recreational vehicles sales.

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The number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment benefits slipped by 6,000 last week. But the four-week average of claims climbed, reflecting a sharp increase in claims last month.

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Wrapping up a three-day visit, the U.S. vice president urges both sides to get past the uproar sparked by an Israeli plan for new settlement construction in disputed east Jerusalem and focus on U.S.-mediated peace talks. "If each waits stubbornly ... this will go on for an eternity," Biden says.

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Fears remain about the hundreds of thousands of homeowners who are still being evaluated for help under loan modification programs. Many analysts say most of those borrowers will eventually lose their homes, sparking a new round of foreclosures later this year.

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Facing potential bankruptcy, the board that governs the once flush-with-cash Kansas City school district is taking the unusual and contentious step of shuttering almost half its schools.

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With the midterm elections approaching, Democrats and Republicans are battling to claim the clean-ethics crown. That's one reason why Rep. David Obey (D-WI), chairman of the Appropriations panel said he's killing off one of lawmakers' most lucrative perks: corporate earmarks. Most of the earmarks come from the subcommittee that oversees defense spending.

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The health care plans before Congress require individuals to purchase insurance. But the penalty for violating the individual mandate may be so low that healthy people might be tempted to pay it instead of buying insurance. That would leave insurers with less healthy customers, prompting companies to raise their rates, prompting more people to drop out, and so forth.

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Cesarean birth rates are steadily rising and still less than 10 percent of women have successful vaginal births after cesareans. A National Institutes of Health panel has been examining the clinical risks and benefits of vaginal births after cesareans — as well as legal, ethical and economic considerations.

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President Obama says the time for talk is over and that Congress needs to take an up-or-down vote on the health care overhaul plan. He traveled to St. Charles, Mo., to sell his plan Wednesday. It was his second trip outside of Washington this week to try to win congressional support for the plan. He also helped raise some cash for Democrats made vulnerable by the long legislative fight.

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The South African cleric and human-rights activist Desmond Tutu joins Renee Montagne to reflect on his long life and his lasting message about forgiveness and reconciliation. His new book, Made for Goodness, is an explanation of his personal sense of spirituality and an invitation to share in his beliefs about the basic goodness of humanity.

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