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As Caucuses Loom, Iowans Bemoan Lack of Face Time

Credit Chris Carlson / Associated Press

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks Tuesday at the Lincoln Cafe in Belle Plaine, Iowa. Among GOP candidates, Santorum had the state to himself on Tuesday.

By Don Gonyea

Originally published on Tue December 13, 2011 10:38 pm

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The Iowa caucuses — the first contest of the 2012 presidential nominating season — take place in three weeks. That means there's precious little time for candidates to make their case and close the deal with Hawkeye State Republicans.

But candidates were tough to find in Iowa on Tuesday. Only former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum — a big underdog in the race — was there. In fact, many Iowans note that this year candidates have spent fewer hours in the state than before recent presidential caucuses.

5:46 pm

Tue December 13, 2011

For Teens, Weight Loss Sculpts New Lives

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Credit Travis Dove For NPR

Located in the North Carolina mountains, Wellspring Academy is a boarding school for overweight teenagers. In addition to their regular classes, students learn to control their weight through a healthful diet, physical activity and counseling.

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

These photos document five students when they first arrived at Wellspring in August — and again two months later. Here, Bethany Gomez poses by the lake on campus.

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

At first Bethany lost a lot of weight, but hitting a plateau disappointed her. "There's gonna be some weeks when it's just half a pound," she says in October, "and some weeks when I'm just going to maintain. So I have to be happy with what I get, I guess."

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

Justin Moore, 15, of Tampa Bay, Fla., in August.

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

In two months, Justin has lost nearly 100 pounds. "A lot of it is a self-motivation thing here. Like, they don't force you to lose weight here; they give you the option to."

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

Haley Humphrey, 15, from Athens, Ala., at Wellspring in August.

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

Two months later, Haley is not worried about the food fest that is the holiday season, she says. "I worked so hard to get [to this point] — I'm not going to ruin it. I can make my own versions of my favorite foods and still be on the program."

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

Savannah Davis, 16, of Lufkin, Texas, said her goal at Wellspring was to feel better about herself. "Just not having all this weight on me is going to make me feel better," she said when she started the program in August. She says she knew "it would be hard work, but I'm ready to do it."

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

After two months, Savannah has adjusted to the Wellspring regimen and has lost weight.

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

Sydney Appelbaum of Newton, Mass., poses by the lake at Wellspring in August.

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

"Every day, I'm feeling a little more confident," Sydney says, two months later. "Things like having pants that are too big on me, or running a faster mile ... I'm doing a 5K coming up soon that I definitely wouldn't have been able to do before."

Credit Travis Dove / for NPR

Savannah Davis, 16, of Lufkin, Texas, poses on the Wellspring campus.

Credit Travis Dove for NPR

Located in the mountains of North Carolina, Wellspring Academy is a boarding school for overweight teenagers. In addition to their regular classes, students learn to control their weight through a healthful diet, physical activity and counseling.

Credit Travis Dove For NPR

Wellspring students walk through the scenic campus toward their dorms after an evening swim.

By Karen Grigsby Bates

Originally published on Wed August 1, 2012 5:42 pm

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Second of two stories, which are part of an ongoing series on obesity in America. The first part begins in August as students start their weight-loss journey at Wellspring Academy, a boarding school in Brevard, N.C. The second checks in with students in late October.

5:09 pm

Tue December 13, 2011

Why Candidates Aren't Campaigning As Hard In Iowa

By Don Gonyea

With three weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses kick off the Republican nominating contest, the candidates are not registering much of a presence in Iowa.

Three Books...

4:45 pm

Tue December 13, 2011

Fakin' It: Three Books On Masquerading Identities

Credit iStockphoto.com

By editor

Originally published on Tue December 13, 2011 6:21 pm

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Scratch just a little below the surface of American writing, and you'll find a substratum of stories that revolve around an impostor, a figure at once sinister and fascinating. This charlatan moves fluidly between personae, and in doing so, proves that identity is — especially in America — up for grabs. The impostor thus is everything we insist we are not. But he's also, I think, everything we wish we could be as the inheritors of our open, yet easily manipulated, American culture.

4:32 pm

Tue December 13, 2011

VIDEO: 'World's Slowest Fastest Camera' Captures The Movement Of Light

Credit M. Scott Brauer / MIT

MIT Media Lab postdoc Andreas Velten, left, and Associate Professor Ramesh Raskar. In the foreground is a plastic bottle glowing with laser light.

By editor

Originally published on Tue December 13, 2011 5:08 pm

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5:48 pm

Tue December 13, 2011