More Attacks in Pakistan

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At least three dozen people were killed in a series of attacks in Pakistan today. The assaults paralyzed Lahore, the country’s cultural capital, where major markets and government offices were shuttered. The strikes are part of an escalating a wave of terror aimed at scuttling a planned Pakistani offensive into the militant heartland on the Afghan border. The BBC’s South Asia Editor, Ethirajan Anbarasan, joins us from London.

The Crisis in American Dental Health Care

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130 million Americans have no dental insurance, and for those who do, it really covers so little that many dentists think of it as a pre-payment plan rather than true insurance. Millions forgo routine dental care, even when they are suffering severe pain. Poor teeth make it difficult to eat healthy food like fresh vegetables and grains. And in some cases, untreated dental infections have led to death. We speak with Slate editor June Thomas who’s written a seven part series, “The American Way of Dentistry” for Slate.

Understanding the Markets

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Wednesday was a good day on Wall Street with the Dow Jones cresting at the 10-thousand dollar mark. That’s up 53 percent from it’s March low. Market analysts say large pension and hedge funds are responsible for the rally. But some are warning that the rebound might be too fast. We talk to Jeff Kosnett, senior editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

• 7 Lessons from the Bull Market

Five Farms, Part Four

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David Pecusa looking at a freshly harvested ear of corn on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. (Andrew Lewis, Five Farms)

Our week long series “Five Farms“, profiles of farm families across America, takes us today to the Hopi reservation in the high desert of northeastern Arizona. That’s where the Pecusa family raises corn and beans much the way their ancestors did a millennium ago. They practice “dry farming,” growing crops without irrigation. Our story was produced by john Biewen and Camille Lacapa.

Listener Letters

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We hear from comments from listeners about some of the stories we’ve covered recently.

An Unlikely Friendship

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Bella the dog and Tara the elephant met at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, and became inseparable. Then Bella became injured and Tara stood outside the barn where Bella rested inside until the two were reunited. We speak with Carol Buckley, co-founder, president and executive director of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, and author of the new book “Tara and Bella, the Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends.”

Music from the show

• Kar Kar Madison, “Boubacar Traore”
• Charles Mingus, “Boogie Stop Shuffle”
• Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”
• Massive Attack, “Future Proof”
• Fred Hirsch, “Desafinado”
• Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
• Steve Earle, “Transcendental Blues”