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himself in the narrative.
• McGinniss, the adventurous and news-making author and reporter who skewered the marketing of Richard Nixon in "The Selling of the President 1968" and tracked his personal journey from sympathizer to scourge of convicted killer Jeffrey MacDonald in the blockbuster "Fatal Vision," died Monday at age 71.
• McGinniss, who announced last year that he had been diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer, died from complications related to his disease. His attorney and longtime friend Dennis Holahan said he died at a hospital in Worcester, Mass. Optimistic almost to the end, he had for months posted regular updates on Facebook and Twitter, commenting on everything from foreign policy to his health.
• The tall, talkative McGinniss had early dreams of becoming a sports reporter and wrote books about soccer, horse racing and travel. But he was best known for two works that became touchstones in their respective genres -- campaign books ("The Selling of the President") and true crime ("Fatal Vision"). In both cases, he had become fascinated by the difference between public image and private reality.
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• KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A few yellow lamps light up the cavernous, sparsely furnished room in Kabul Stadium where Afghanistan's young female boxers train, hoping to become good enough to compete in the 2016 Olympics.
• The women, some as young as 18, don't have much more than determination to fuel their drive.
• Previously, non-governmental organizations supported them. At one time, there were 25 young women on the team who received a salary the equivalent of $100 per month and transportation to and from training at the stadium.
• But aid organizations have dropped out. Afghanistan's National Olympic Committee took over, but it has little money for the women. The budget was slashed and the women lost their salaries. Now their numbers are down to a dozen. They get a place to train, their boxing gloves and, occasionally, transportation costs.
• Still, the sportswomen share a camaraderie, laughing and teasing each other until the serious business of training begins.
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