2. Do you consider the NAACP a racist organization?
3. Rate the performance of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell from 1 - 10, with 10 being the highest.
4. Do you believe ObamaCare will be declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court?
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* * * TOP OF THE NEWS! * * *
- Mitt Romney crushed Newt Gingrich in the Florida Republican presidential primary Tuesday night, surging from a second-place finish in South Carolina to sweep the winner-take-all contest and reassert his frontrunner status.
Romney Wins Florida Primary Prize, Gingrich Pledges Drawn-Out Battle
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- The head of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is threatening to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress if he fails to comply with congressional subpoenas for documents.
Issa Threatens Contempt Proceeding Against Holder
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-A group of Occupy Wall Street protesters disrupted a Right to Life rally and threw condoms on Catholic school girls inside the Rhode Island state capitol building.
Occupiers Dump Condoms On Catholic School Girls
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-A U.S. school teacher bound and gagged nearly two dozen children, put cockroaches on some of their faces and posed in photos with them, possibly inside a classroom, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday.
Los Angeles Teacher Charged With Molesting 23 Children
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- The U.S. Military Academy pressured a retired U.S. lieutenant general to withdraw from speaking at a West Point prayer breakfast after Muslims and atheists complained, Fox News & Commentary has learned.
Muslims, Atheists Pressure Military To Remove Christian Speaker
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- Iran's leaders have "changed their calculus" and now appear willing to conduct an attack within the U.S., spy chief James Clapper said, pointing to last year's alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
Spy Chief Sees A Growing Iranian Threat To U.S.
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- Nuclear reactors in the central and eastern U.S. face previously unrecognized threats from big earthquakes, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday. Experts said upgrading the plants to withstand more substantial earth movements would be costly and could force some to close.
New Quake Risks Seen For Nuclear Plants
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- The Federal Trade Commission intensified its crackdown on the booming debt-collection industry, announcing a $2.5 million settlement with a company for allegedly coercing borrowers into paying debts they no longer legally owed.
U.S. Gets Tougher on Debt Collecting
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- U.S. stocks fell for a fourth day, the longest streak for the Dow Jones Industrial Average since August, as reports showed consumer confidence trailed economists' projections and business activity cooled.
Dow Caps Longest Losing Streak Since August
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- Consumer confidence unexpectedly dropped in January and a gauge of business activity fell, underscoring forecasts that the U.S. economy will cool after expanding at the fastest pace since the second quarter 2010.
Confidence Decline Points to Cooling U.S. Growth
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- Greece pledged a last-ditch effort to prevent the collapse of a second rescue package from creditors, aiming to complete talks this week on a financial lifeline that's been in the works for six months.
Greece Fights for Second Bailout
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- Arab leaders told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that Syria has failed to make reforms and continues to operate a "killing machine" against protests that began peacefully.
Arab League Leaders Say Syria Not Making democratic Progress
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- Technical experts directing the salvage operation aboard the Costa Concordia cruise ship are recommending that the underwater part of the operation be called off because it is becoming too dangerous, Italy's civil protection agency said Tuesday.
Experts Advise Ending Concordia Underwater Salvage
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- A senior administration official is denying to CNN that President Obama made a mistake in publicly revealing what had been classified information about U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan.
Administration Official Denies President Made Mistake Revealing U.S. Drone Strikes In Pakistan
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- Chance encounters near an isolated Amazon tribe have resulted in the most detailed pictures ever taken of them.
Mashco-Piro 'Uncontacted' Peruvian Tribe Pictured
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- The Taliban in Afghanistan are being directly assisted by Pakistani security services, according to a secret Nato report seen by the BBC.
Pakistan Is Helping Afghan Taliban, Says Nato Report
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- Facebook is expected to submit paperwork to regulators on Wednesday morning for a $5 billion initial public offering and has selected Morgan Stanley and four other bookrunners to handle the mega-IPO, sources close to the deal told IFR.
Facebook To File $5 Billion IPO
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- The United States is headed for a fourth straight year with a $1 trillion-plus budget deficit, congressional forecasters said on Tuesday, giving Republicans ammunition to hammer President Barack Obama's spending record in November's elections.
U.S. Set For Fourth Year Of $1 Trillion-Plus Deficit: CBO
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- Fred Goodwin has been stripped of his knighthood after a political campaign to see the former head of Royal Bank of Scotland punished for his role in the financial crisis.
Fred Goodwin Is Shredded: Former RBS Boss Stripped Of Knighthood
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- William Hague, the Brtiish Foreign Secretary, has warned that the Royal Navy still 'packs a considerable punch' as HMS Dauntless was deployed to the Falkland Islands.
Falkland Islands: Royal Navy Packs Considerable Punch, Warns William Hague
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- The Met Office warns that temperatures in the capital are unlikely to rise above 0C for the next two days.
London Prepares For Freezing Temperatures
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- The gunman who killed 77 people in twin attacks in Norway wants to give his first interview to a foreign television channel before his trial opens in April, his lawyer was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
Norway Killer Anders Behring Breivik Wants First Interview With foreign TV
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- Attention Local and regional advertisers: The Rockbridge Weekly has many, low-cost FULL COLOR ad deals now available to you. This pre-pay rate reduction system is one of the best values we've ever offered. Click the link below and download our rate cards and call us today with your order. AND now, we have multiple insertion discounts up to 50%.
The Weekly's New LOW COST COLOR AD DEALS!
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Process (4) color, ad makeup included!
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- Readers may view the front pages of the Rockbridge Weekly's sections each week online. Just use these links to do so...
A Section Front
B Section Front
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Area Deaths:
-Elizabeth Virginia Hostetter Conner Johnson, 92, of Lexington, Virginia, passed away Tuesday, January 31, 2012.
-Lillian Cordelia Alexander, 69, of Buena Vista, Virginia, died Friday, January 27, 2012 at her home.
-Lytle Wilmer Higgins, 82, of Buena Vista, Virginia, died Sunday, January 29, 2012 at his home.
-Isabelle Haines Sprunt Tate, 46, of Waterville, Maine, and formerly of Rockbridge, died peacefully on January 25, 2012, at an Augusta Maine hospital.
UPDATED 2 -Jerry Elwood Spence, 73, of Buena Vista, Virginia, passed away on Friday, January 27, 2012.
UPDATED -Hazel Harris Gray, 83, of Natural Bridge, Virginia, died Friday, January 27, 2012.
-Michael Dennis Pardue, 66, of Fairfield, died January 26, 2012.
-Joseph Reginald Smith, 76, of Lexington, Virginia, died Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at his home.
Find local obituaries online at:
RW ONLINE OBITUARIES - note: Covington, Alleghany County and Clifton Forge obituaries also now online.
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