The Torch
5:37 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

We've Got Olympic Spirit, Yes We Do; How 'Bout You?

Credit Daniel Garcia / AFP/Getty Images
Cheerleaders perform during the women's beach volleyball preliminary phase Pool B match on the Centre Court Stadium at Horse Guards Parade in London on Monday.

When I say citius, you say altius; when I say altius, you say fortius. Or don't. That's fine, too, traditional even. But these Olympics have conspicuously defied traditional notions by having cheerleaders, in a few different styles, at a few different venues. In basketball, dance teams perform between matches. In beach volleyball, highly choreographed teams delight attendees.

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Channel 5
5:01 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

Secrets of the Manor House

A hundred years ago, the world of the British manor house was at its height. It was a world of luxury and privilege that has provided a majestic backdrop to a range of movies and costume dramas to this day, most recently in the popular MASTERPIECE “Downton Abbey.” But what was really going on behind those stately walls? Find out when this program looks beyond fiction to the truth of the lives lived in these ancient British houses, and shows how mounting financial, political and social pressures were poised to bring momentous changes.

Airs Sunday, August 5, at 9pm on Channel 5.

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Channel 5
4:44 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

ACL: The Head and the Heart/Gomez

Fresh and seasoned indie rock hits the AUSTIN CITY LIMITS stage with the Head and the Heart and Gomez. Seattle’s the Head and the Heart performs tunes from its self-titled debut LP. British veterans Gomez follow with their eclectic modern rock.

Airs Saturday, at 8pm on Channel 5.

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The Salt
4:30 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

Bhutan Bets Organic Agriculture Is The Road To Happiness

Credit James L. Stanfield / National Geographic/Getty Images
A Bhutanese farmer puts her harvest of chilies on the roof of a shed to dry and protect it from wild boars, deer, and monkeys in 2006.

Originally published on Mon October 22, 2012 10:32 am

The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan drew international attention a few years back for saying gross national happiness should trump gross domestic product when measuring a nation's progress. If you're going to prioritize happiness, the Bhutanese thinking goes, you'd better include the environment and spiritual and mental well-being in your calculations.

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Channel 5
4:25 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

24 Frames: 8/02

Have you been watching Channel 5's newest original series, 24 Frames? It takes you behind-the-scenes of the arts and entertainment community, introduces you to independent filmmakers, screens short films, and much more! It airs Thursdays at 8pm on your PBS station.

Catch up on season 1 of 24 Frames this August.

8/02/12- Summer Blockbusters/Comic Book Films

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The Two-Way
4:20 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

Fannie, Freddie Regulator Holds Firm Against Mortgage Write-Downs

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Many experts say reducing mortgage principal can help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. But the regulator who oversees two of the nation's largest mortgage holders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has rejected the idea.

A federal regulator is blocking the government-owned mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from reducing the principal that homeowners owe on their mortgages in order to avoid foreclosures.

Tuesday's decision came from Edward DeMarco, the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

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Shots - Health Blog
4:11 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

NIH Official Calls For Extension Of Moratorium On Bird Flu Experiments

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said a voluntary halt to bird flu research should stay in effect.

A voluntary moratorium on certain experiments involving forms of bird flu altered in laboratories should continue until there can be more public discussion of safety concerns, a prominent government official told flu researchers at a meeting in New York City Tuesday.

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It's All Politics
4:10 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

Obama And Bush's Shared First-Term Obsession: Battleground States

What does President Obama have in common with his immediate White House predecessor?

Both men spent a disproportionate amount of their first terms making appearances in battleground states, Brendan Doherty, a political scientist at the U.S. Naval Academy, writes in a post on The Monkey Cage political-science blog.

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The Torch
4:08 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

Phelps Sets New Olympic Record With 19 Medals; America's Schmitt Wins Gold

Originally published on Tue July 31, 2012 5:35 pm

The U.S. men's swimming team has won the 4x200m freestyle relay, in a race that also gave Michael Phelps a record 19 medals in the Olympics. He netted his 18th, a silver, earlier in the day.

Update at 4:05 p.m. EDT: For the relay final, the American team swam in the fourth lane, next to their greatest rivals, the French, who posted the fasted qualifying time. The French are led by Yannick Agnel, who soundly defeated Ryan Lochte and others in the men's 200m freestyle Monday.

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Asia
4:06 pm
Tue July 31, 2012

India's Power Woes A Classic Story Of Supply, Demand

Originally published on Wed October 31, 2012 1:25 pm

It might be too early to say what the exact cause of India's latest massive power outage is, but in its simplest form, it probably has something to do with supply and demand –- not enough of the former and too much of the latter.

The outage, which left more than 670 million of the country's 1.2 billion people without power, snarled traffic, shut down electric trains and idled some businesses. Indian officials say they are rapidly restoring power, but it's unclear how soon the situation will be back to normal.

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