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The economic recovery is still tepid in most parts of the country, and there's a sense of trepidation that signs of improvement might not last. Among the swing states, some are doing comparatively well while others are struggling — but the political picture looks roughly the same in all.

He had been accused of hurling racial insults at an opponent. The case has been front-page news in Britain. But a magistrate said today that there was doubt about whether Terry's words were meant as an insult.

The safest bet for a box-office draw is not a superhero, action or sci-fi film — it's computer animation. Franchises like Toy Story, Ice Age and Shrek consistently make billions for their studios, Bob Mondello writes — and that's before DVD and toy sales kick in.

Is there more to tasting than meets your tongue? Researchers are investigating how the way food smells, or looks, can change the way it's perceived. Can eating something in a blue bowl make it seem saltier? Marc Abrahams, editor of theAnnals of Improbable Research, describes the research, and shares some food industry "insider" tips for making food taste better.

Researchers have found a fridge-free way to store vaccines and antibiotics. Biomedical engineer David Kaplan, senior author of the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, discusses how heat-sensitive drugs wrapped in silk stay effective for months at high temperatures.

McDonald's deal to block others from selling fries at the Olympics is giving some people heartburn. Hear more tonight on All Things Considered, and check out our Storify of what we're reading now.

Researchers say there's no evidence electric fans actually provide relief in a heat wave. So they're calling for more research, even though heat waves are hard to predict and even harder to study once they hit.

California lawmakers gave the green light to the first phase of construction of high-speed rail in the state. Does this mean that America is on track for faster, sleeker trains? What potential speed bumps still lie ahead? Railroad engineer Christopher Barkan discusses the costs, benefits and state of the technology.

Even before the decision by the US Supreme Court to uphold most of President Obama's health care reform law, California was leading the way in…