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The Salt
12:18 pm
Thu March 28, 2013

Mapping The Microbes That Flourish On Fruits And Veggies

Credit iStockphoto.com
You call it salad. The bacteria call it home.

Originally published on Thu March 28, 2013 1:06 pm

Deadly microbes like salmonella and E. coli can lurk on the surface of spinach, lettuce and other fresh foods. But many more benign microbes also flourish there, living lives of quiet obscurity, much like the tiny Whos in Dr. Seuss' Whoville. Until now.

Scientists at the University of Colorado have taken what may be the first broad inventory of the microbes that live on strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes and eight other popular fresh foods.

It turns out the invisible communities living on our food vary greatly, depending on the type and whether it's conventional or organic.

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Around the Nation
12:00 pm
Thu March 28, 2013

Maybe We Should Retire The Word 'Retire'

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The official portrait of retirement has changed, and it didn't change to this.

Retirement ads are everywhere these days. The Villages lures retirees to come live, love and golf in Florida. USAA offers financial counsel to retiring military personnel.

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Religion
11:31 am
Thu March 28, 2013

Bishop: 'I See Marriage As A Sacred Institution'

Hundreds rallied outside the Supreme Court this week as the justices heard arguments in two gay marriage cases. Host Michel Martin speaks to Bishop Harry Jackson, who opposes same-sex marriage and spoke at the Marriage March, a rally held in Washington, D.C.

The Two-Way
11:24 am
Thu March 28, 2013

Residents Wait To Return Home After Landslide On Puget Sound Island

Credit Ted S. Warren / Associated Press
Houses sit near the edge of a landslide on Whidbey Island on Wednesday.

Originally published on Thu March 28, 2013 3:05 pm

Residents forced from their homes on Puget Sound's scenic Whidbey Island in Washington State are waiting for a green light from geologists and engineers after a large landslide knocked a house off its foundation and threatened to damage several others.

The landslide on the island, about 50 miles north of Seattle, measured about a quarter-mile wide and a half-mile deep, according to NBC News.

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The Two-Way
11:24 am
Thu March 28, 2013

Powerball Winner Owes Thousands In Child Support Payments

Credit Julio Cortez / AP
Powerball winner Pedro Quezada holds up a promotional check featuring his $338 million jackpot. He owes $29,000 in back child support payments, according to New Jersey law enforcement authorities.

Now he can catch up with his bills. Pedro Quezada of New Jersey claimed the fourth-largest jackpot in the history of the Powerball multistate lottery on Tuesday. Instead of taking the $338 million dollar prize in installments, he opted for a one-time lump sum payment of $211 million, which is the third-largest single cash prize the lottery has ever awarded.

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