Pope Benedict XVI greeted the Catholic masses in St. Peter's Square Wednesday for the last time before retiring on Thursday. He made several rounds of the square as crowds cheered wildly and stopped to kiss a half-dozen children brought up to him by his secretary.

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JUNEAU — Gov. Sean Parnell has introduced legislation aimed at improving the permitting process in Alaska, but critics fear it will hurt the public’s ability to participate in permitting decisions.

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Secular activists launched the uprising in Syria two years ago, but ultraconservative Muslims are becoming a more potent force as the war grinds on. The sides have little in common besides their opposition to President Bashar Assad's government.

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Most Americans are earning more money than their parents, according to a new study from Pew's Economic Mobility Project. But that doesn't tell the whole picture: It often takes two incomes to surpass the one salary that was enough for the younger generation's parents.

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Only about 800 women younger than 40 get the kind of breast cancer that has spread to bones or other organs by the time it's diagnosed. But that number tripled in a generation, and scientists are left wondering what's the cause.

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Many parents struggle to find the time to get their kids the exercise they need. Hectic lives are often filled with shuttling children from one sports activity to the next. But some parents are trying to make walking and biking part of their daily lives, not something they have to schedule.

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The provision at issue in Wednesday's case before the court applies to parts of the U.S. where discriminatory voting practices were once rampant. The formula that covers those areas hasn't changed since 1975. The crux of the case: whether times have changed so much that Congress violated the Constitution when it reauthorized the law in 2006.

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Elected in 1956, Wisconsin state Sen. Fred Risser is the longest-serving state lawmaker in the country. He may not use Facebook, Twitter or email, but he's gotten a lot done over the years. Considered an "institution within an institution" by some, he was just re-elected for another four years.

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Watch Japan’s Killer Quake – Preview on PBS. See more from NOVA.

The March 11, 2011, earthquake in Japan was the world’s fourth-largest earthquake since record keeping began in 1900 and the worst ever to shake Japan. The seismic shock wave released more than 4,000 times the energy of the largest nuclear test ever conducted; it shifted the earth’s axis by six inches and shortened the day by a few millionths of a second. The tsunami slammed Japan’s coast with 30-feet-high waves that traveled six miles inland, obliterating entire towns in a matter of minutes. “Japan’s Killer Quake” combines authoritative on-the-spot reporting, personal stories of tragedy and survival, compelling eyewitness videos, explanatory graphics and exclusive helicopter footage for a unique look at the science behind the catastrophe.

• Wednesday 2/27 @ 9:00 p.m.
  

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill Tuesday legalizing Internet gambling, hours after the state legislature passed a revised bill that made the changes he wanted. They included setting a 10-year trial period for online betting, and raising the taxes on the Atlantic City casinos' online winnings from 10 to 15 percent.

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Former Illinois legislator Robin Kelly captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the race to replace disgraced ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. The nomination all but assures that Kelly will sail through the April 9 general election because the Chicago-area district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

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The design concept report for the “day boat” Alaska-class ferry proposed by the state was released Tuesday afternoon by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The report describes the type of ship being sought by the DOT&PF. Under its specifications, each ferry would have a passenger capacity of up to 300 people and could hold up to 53 cars on its car deck. They would be at least 256.75 feet long at the waterline.

A “Roadmap” vessel design included in the report comes in at 278.5 feet.

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Alaska Senate committee's changes improve governor's oil tax bill OPINION: With other North American oil regions booming and Alaska on the downturn, "ACES" must really stand for "Alaska Can't Expect to Survive."February 26, 2013

Student-athletes are really sucker-athletes under the organization's structure, says sports commentator Frank Deford. Will no college president speak the words that will break the organization's spell?

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Defunct Matanuska Creamery set for liquidation auction Government cheese: Need milk production equipment? In the market for cheese once used as collateral for government subsidies? You're in luck. Matanuska Creamery and all its assets, cheese curds and all, will be liquidated in a public auction. February 26, 2013

Conservative Alaska Senate majority wastes no time reviving womb wars After years of watching Alaska Senate business in minority and on the sidelines, newly-empowered social conservatives seek to narrow the definition of "medically necessary" abortion in Alaska.February 26, 2013

Defending Iditarod Invitational champ's run-rest strategy keeps frontrunners guessing The Iditarod Trail Invitational keeps competition simple -- run it, hike it, bike it, unicycle it -- no motors or dog teams are allowed. How an extreme adventure-loving 33-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, has dominated an event the world's best endurance athletes have tried for years to conquer.February 26, 2013

New tax break spurs oil investment boom in North Sea As Alaska lawmakers grapple with whether to cut up to $1 billion annually in taxes on the oil industry, the North Sea oil patch is seeing a 30-year investment high as a result of tax relief from Great Britain.February 26, 2013

Mp3 File:

news02-26-13.mp3

Broadcaster: Margaret Friedenauer

The state unveils its plan for the new shuttle ferries; an interview with Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins.


Local News for Feb. 26, 2013

Mp3 File:

news02-25-13.mp3

Broadcaster: Margaret Friedenauer

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Local News for Feb. 25, 2013