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• Akin took his message to conservative talk radio shows, declaring GOP leaders were overreacting by insisting he abandon his quest to unseat Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, and to social media with appeals for donations on his Twitter feed claiming "liberal elites" are trying to push him out of the race.
• "I misspoke one word in one sentence on one day, and all of a sudden, overnight, everybody decides, 'Well, Akin can't possibly win,'" he said on a national radio show hosted by former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. "Well, I don't agree with that."
• Akin predicted he would bounce back from the political crisis threatening his campaign, including a call from presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney to leave the race, and capture a seat that is pivotal to Republican hopes of regaining control of the Senate.
• But his bid faces tall obstacles -- chief among them a lack of money and party support.
• ___

• BEIRUT (AP) -- Activists say Syrian troops backed by tanks have stormed an upscale Damascus neighborhood, killing at least 11 suspected rebels.
• They said the attack came after regime forces shelled the area with mortars soon after dawn.
• An activist, who only wanted to be identified by the name Bassam, said that as many as 22 tanks stormed the Kafar Soussa neighborhood with about 20 soldiers on foot behind each one. He spoke via Skype from central Damascus.

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