May 23, 2008      

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Small businesses employ America, hiring an estimated 50 percent of employees in the United States, according to the U.S. Small Business Association. But those businesses are in danger, squeezed by the weakening dollar, the credit crunch, inflation, oil prices and tighter lending standards.
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For the first time, scientists have witnessed the birth of a supernova. Heidi Hammel with the Space Science Institute tells us more.

On the left: 'Before' images show a previously known supernova, SN 2007uy, in galaxy NGC 2770.

On the right: An X-ray image taken on January 9, 2008, captures a moment of a 5-minute-long burst, indicating the creation of a new supernova, SN 2008D. The exploded star became visible to regular photography a few days later.

Image credit: NASA/Swift Science Team/Stefan Immler

After 19 years, the world's most famous archaeologist is back on the silver screen, bullwhip and all. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" hits theaters nationwide this week. To get a reality check on the Indiana Jones franchise, The Takeaway talks with a very real Indiana Jones: Rick Jones, Indiana's State Archaeologist.
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Tijuana, Mexico, just across the U.S. border, has become a flashpoint in a drug war. The violence there is tied to a crackdown on drug cartels by federal Mexican police and soldiers. The gangs are also feuding among themselves for control of lucrative shipment routes. Richard Marosi, a San Diego-based border reporter for the Los Angeles Times, says Tijuana is a microcosm of the problems and violence currently afflicting broader regions of Mexico.
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