NPR News

Germany was the world's most future-oriented country in 2012, followed by Switzerland and Japan, according to the "Future Orientation Index," which is based on Google searches. Scientists say the index is "strongly correlated" to economic health.

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Though he may be best known for his work on Star Wars, Freeborn was already a makeup legend before those movies were made. He worked on Oliver Twist, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and other classics.

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While a majority also support a ban on assault weapons, that issue is decided along party lines. Pollsters added that the political ramifications of the issue are unclear.

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Who says healthy doesn't sell? McDonald's, Panera Bread and other restaurant chains that offered more lower-calorie food choices saw a 9 percent jump in food and beverage sales from 2006 to 2011, a new report finds. Restaurants without these options saw sales drop.

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People sick of receiving ads and newsletters in their mailbox soon will soon have a break on weekends. The U.S. Postal Service is halting Saturday mail deliveries. But how will it affect people who count on the mail for bills, checks, and medicine? And will stopping Saturday delivery be enough to keep the agency afloat?

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Kibbeh nayeh is a beloved Lebanese dish made with raw meat. A salmonella outbreak put kibbeh in the news last week — which is a shame, says writer Maureen Abood, because for many Lebanese, kibbeh nayeh means festival and family.

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The president said he worries that "as soon as we leave the prayer breakfast, everything we've been talking about the whole time at the prayer breakfast is forgotten." He and other leaders, Obama said, need to retain the "humility" they express when praying.

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Money to fight HIV and tuberculosis worldwide went through a huge growth in the early 2000s. But donations have plateaued in the past few years, economists say, as governments tighten their budgets. The U.S. is still the biggest contributor to global health, giving about $10 billion in 2010.

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The gunman is believed to be a former officer who is angry about his dismissal from the city's force. He allegedly killed two people last weekend and shot three police officers today. One of those officers has died.

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The pace of claims for unemployment insurance changed little. That could be a sign that employers are hiring and firing at about the same rate as they did in 2012.

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In northeastern Minnesota, moose are dying at an alarming rate. State officials are having difficulty determining why. And though hunters are not part of the problem, the state announced Wednesday that there will be no moose hunting season this coming fall. Disease? Predators? Climate change?

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Also: A look at Winston Churchill's poetic side; Twitter buzzes over Tim Geithner's book plans; and Philip Roth is the object of a takedown.

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If anything, already ominous-sounding forecasts are getting even more serious. By the the time it's all over this weekend, some parts of Massachusetts and surrounding states could have two feet of new snow on the ground.

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The sweeping fire sale is a requirement for multibillion-euro bailouts. And the Chinese, Russian and Arab companies lining up to take advantage of the steep discounts are making Greeks and other Europeans nervous.

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The sweeping fire sale is a requirement for multibillion-euro bailouts. And the Chinese, Russian and Arab companies lining up to take advantage of the steep discounts are making Greeks and other Europeans nervous.

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Regulations to restrict the amount of silica dust that workers can inhale was set decades ago, and workplace safety experts say that limit needs to be cut in half. A proposal for new rules was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a 90-day review, but almost two years later, it's still under review.

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Puerto Rico's per capita murder rate is six times that of the U.S. as a whole. And with violence escalating, many residents are fleeing to the mainland. Still others hope to turn their home around.

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The decision to grant lawmakers access to the classified information comes a day before the president's pick to head the CIA has his confirmation hearing. The classified information details the rationale for targeted strikes against U.S. citizens believed to have links to al-Qaida.

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As Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan has been associated with some controversial policies, including the use of armed drones. It's unlikely his appointment as CIA director is in trouble, but he's likely to face questions on drones as well as the agency's interrogation policies.

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As Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan has been associated with some controversial policies, including the use of armed drones. It's unlikely his appointment as CIA director is in trouble, but he's likely to face questions on drones as well as the agency's interrogation policies.

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