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techniques of terror suspects did not aid in killing the al-Qaida leader. • • 8. WHAT A FAIR MINIMUM WAGE MEANS • The hot election year issue divides economists and politicians even though its buying power has declined since 1968. • • 9. WHERE EGYPTIAN DOG AND CAT MUMMIES ARE TAKING CENTER STAGE • Dozens of centuries-old specimens are on display at a California museum, including a canine so well detailed that even its floppy ears are prominent. • • 10. WHO EARNED A SPOT IN THE FINAL FOUR • UConn will play Florida, the NCAA tournament's overall No. 1 seed, while Kentucky faces off against Wisconsin. •
AP News in Brief Gerrymandering, geography give Republicans built-in advantage in this year's House elections
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- Even if Democrats recruit great candidates, raise gobs of money and run smart campaigns, they face an uphill fight to retake control of the House in this year's congressional elections, regardless of the political climate in November. • The reason? Republican strategists spent years developing a plan to take advantage of the 2010 census, first by winning state legislatures and then redrawing House districts to tilt the playing field in their favor. Their success was unprecedented. • In states like Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina, Republicans were able to shape congressional maps to pack as many Democratic voters as possible into the fewest House districts. The practice is called gerrymandering, and it left fertile ground elsewhere in each state to spread Republican voters among more districts, increasing the GOP's chances of winning more seats. • Geography helped in some states. Democratic voters are more likely to live in densely populated urban areas, making it easier to pack them into fewer districts. • The first payoff came in 2012, when Republicans kept control of the House despite a Democratic wave that swept President Barack Obama to a second term. The (Continued on page 25)
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