Wednesday,  August 22, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 039 • 25 of 28 •  Other Editions

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with buildings and roads in dire need of repair, and the United Nations says two-thirds of North Koreans face some form of chronic food shortage.
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Texas vows to enforce law banning funding for Planned Parenthood after appeals court ruling

• AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas officials are vowing to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood after a federal court sided with the state in a challenge over a new law that bans clinics affiliated with abortion providers from getting money through a health program for low-income women.
• The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans late Tuesday reversed a federal judge's temporary injunction that was allowing the funding to continue pending an October trial on Planned Parenthood's challenge to the law.
• State officials are seeking to halt money to Planned Parenthood clinics that provide family planning and health services as part of the state's Women's Health Program because the Republican-led Texas Legislature passed a law banning funds to organizations linked to abortion providers.
• Planned Parenthood provides services like cancer screenings -- but not abortions -- to about half of the 130,000 low-income Texas women enrolled in the program, which is designed to provide services to women who might not otherwise qualify for Medicaid.
• The appeals court's decision means Texas is now free to impose the ban.
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Taylor Swift to perform at VMAs, Fierce 5 US Olympic gymnasts to present at awards show

• NEW YORK (AP) -- Six-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift will perform at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards next month. But she won't be the only gold winner in the room.
• The U.S. Women's Gymnastics team -- known as the Fierce Five -- will be presenters at the Sept. 6 show. Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber won the women's team gold medal at the Olympics this month and have been on a whirlwind tour ever since that included the couches of Jay Leno and David Letterman. Douglas, Maroney and Raisman also won individual medals.
• Miley Cyrus, rapper Wiz Khalifa and alternative hip-hop artist Mac Miller will also

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