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Locally grown produce is in vogue as even the biggest grocers try to appeal to shoppers and save on fuel costs. Among the big names selling homegrown food are Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Tesco, and Wal-Mart. As gas prices remain high and the popularity of local food grows--the number of local farmers markets has more than doubled in the past decade, the Department of Agriculture says--grocers are reviving the old practice of buying from smaller regional farms.

Most people who take statins suffer no side effects from the cholesterol-lowering drugs. A small but significant number, however, develop mild to crushing muscle pain. In rare cases, the drugs can lead to permanent muscle damage, kidney problems, and death. Doctors disagree about the frequency of statin-induced muscle pain; clinical trials put the number at around 3 percent, though some doctors estimate that as many as 10 to 15 percent of statin patients are affected to some degree. Are you among them? Here are seven reasons not to dismiss the discomfort as a harmless symptom of age:

John McCain woke up this week to front-page photographs of Barack Obama helicoptoring over Baghdad with American commander Gen. David Petraeus. To reports of the Iraqi prime minister's agreement with Obama's basic timetable to bring U.S. troops home. And to the Bush administration's talk about a "horizon" for the American military presence in Iraq.

Viagra might be more than a man's drug after all. Four years after Pfizer abandoned trials seeking FDA approval of its use as a potential treatment for female sexual arousal disorder, new research suggests that the diamond-shaped pill may help some women overcome sexual side effects caused by antidepressants.

As speculation about John McCain's running mate intensifies, senior Republicans are concerned that McCain may jump the gun and make a premature announcement of his No. 2.

In an energy speech last week in Washington, former Vice President Al Gore might have surprised a few people by identifying geothermal energy, along with wind and solar, as the one of the country's most promising alternative energy sources.

John McCain's campaign today took a page from former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's playbook and launched a Web ad that mocks what both camps have characterized as the media's swoon over presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

He's been on the run for more than a decade, but former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, perhaps the world's most wanted indicted war criminal, is now in custody, according to wire reports.

Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters are almost evenly spilt over who they say they'll vote for in the fall election, but it appears that the union, which represents 288,000 first responders, is poised to endorse presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

Visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown reassured the Israeli Knesset on Monday that his country would continue its efforts to prevent Iran from making a nuclear bomb. In his address to the Israeli parliament, the first by a British prime minister, Brown said Iran must either halt its program or face international isolation. "It is totally abhorrent for the president of Iran to call for Israel to be wiped from the map of the world," Brown said. "The U.K. will continue to lead--with the U.S. and our EU partners--in our determination to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapons program."

If it takes a village to raise a child, it may also take a village for seniors to age safely in their own homes. Repairs, meal preparation, and transportation to and from doctor's appointments can sometimes be too much for a frail senior to handle alone.

LONDON--A bloody knife-crime wave sweeping across Britain has left a slew of urban teenagers and young adults dead or seriously injured.

Democratic insiders are pleased that Hillary and Bill Clinton have stepped out of the spotlight since she conceded the Democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama several weeks ago.

After former Vice President Al Gore challenged the next president to set an ambitious goal of obtaining all of the nation's electricity from carbon-free sources by 2018, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama saluted Gore's leadership but appeared to stop short of embracing Gore's proposals.

Iran is watching the presidential election contest between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama very closely. Even with the possibility of an advance toward negotiations at a key meeting in Geneva this weekend, a new occupant of the White House means new uncertainties for Tehran.

There's some little-noticed good news for patients in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 that became law with Congress's override of President Bush's veto on Tuesday: Medicare beneficiaries in need of mental health services will soon face lower coinsurance payments and will have improved access to certain medications.

When Barack Obama travels to Europe and the Middle East next week, it will most likely be a tightly scripted, controlled affair designed to minimize his potential to make a devastating gaffe, Democratic strategists predict.

Though you may not know it, since it's still promoted by doctors and some organizations, the monthly breast self-exam (or BSE) has been in the cross hairs for a while. The American Cancer Society's screening recommendations made it optional in 2003. The grass-roots group Susan G. Komen for the Cure promotes "breast self-awareness" rather than regular monthly exams. And this week, a review of existing research concludes what many doctors have been saying for years: There's no evidence that monthly self-exams reduce breast cancer deaths.

When it comes to exploring why people join the ranks of the al Qaeda terrorist network, scholars and intelligence officials have offered a host of possible motivators, ranging from the disenfranchisement of a particular tribe or sect to more general humiliation, marginalization, and alienation from society.

Caution: These activities could give flight delay a whole new meaning--plus ruin your vacation. These are things you should never do, not even aspire to do. But, alas, some of them have already been done. Here are the tried and tested dumbest ways to get in trouble at an airport.

Presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama today repeated his vow to quickly end the war in Iraq, promised to finish the fight against al Qaeda, and sought to draw a bright line between his opposition to the war and his GOP opponent John McCain's support for it.

Israel's cabinet has given final approval to a controversial new prisoner swap with Lebanon.

When historian Gil Troy began writing his latest book, Leading From the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents, he feared the American idea of playing to the center was being lost in an age of polarizing, "my way or the highway" politics. But Troy says the United States is now facing a "moderate moment" that he didn't anticipate. As America lines up to select its next president, Troy calls for a muscular moderate, a leader who can compromise and build bridges while preserving core values. ...

After President Bush's largely symbolic decision to lift an 18-year-old executive moratorium on drilling for oil and natural gas along the outer continental shelf, the real question is how Congress will respond.

Driving is a rite of passage in the United States. Remember when you passed your driving test and took your parents' car out onto the open road? Unfortunately, there comes a time in life when you need to think about hanging up those car keys.

It's been an amazing year for discoveries about autism and genes-and it's only July. The latest news: Some genes involved in the disorder may affect the brain's ability to develop in response to experience, a key aspect of learning.

Will Hillary supporters back Obama? Is John McCain too old? Will white male Democrats vote for Obama? After weeks of speculation by pundits, the Pew Research Center this afternoon has weighed in with some real data. In a wide-ranging new poll, the center finds record voter interest in the presidential election this summer, with enthusiasm among Democratic voters far surpassing enthusiasm among Republicans. No shocker there.

The storm clouds over embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert turned darker on Friday, with the startling announcement that Israeli police are investigating whether he enriched himself by taking payments from multiple sources for trips overseas.