Morning Edition

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LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Now, for a global perspective on our national weight problem. The number of humans on the planet is now more than seven billion. And our total weight is 287 million tons. That number comes from a new study that suggests weight, and not just headcount, should be considered when looking at the impact of people on the planet.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

To find out more, we called Ian Roberts. He's a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and is the lead author of this study.

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LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Mitt Romney has wrapped up his most extensive campaign trip since becoming the all-but-official Republican nominee for president. Over the past five days, he visited six potential battleground states, touring each by bus. Along the way, he honed his attacks on President Obama, while also trying to show voters a more relaxed Mitt Romney than they've seen so far.

The tour, called Every Town Counts, stayed mostly in counties friendly to Republicans, ending with three stops in Michigan yesterday, the state where Romney was born.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is said to be on life support after suffering a stroke in prison. Meanwhile, demonstrators are still gathered in Tahrir Sqaure protesting moves by the interim military government to seize power.

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Geologists have noticed an increase in the number of small earthquakes in the U.S. They suspect the cause to be wastewater wells, where polluted water from industrial processes is pumped deep underground. None of the quakes has caused serious damage.

A House committee meets to consider a report holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress on Wednesday. Holder failed to turn over subpoenaed documents related to Operation Fast and Furious, a botched gun-trafficking operation. Rep. Darrell Issa met with Holder Tuesday in an effort to resolve difference over his panel's subpoena for the documents.

Leaders of the world's biggest economies wrapped up the G-20 summit in Mexico Tuesday with a promise to work together to promote jobs. The meeting comes amid worrisome signs of slowing growth in the United States and elsewhere.

Federal Reserve policymakers release their latest statement on the economy Wednesday, and Chairman Ben Bernanke will attempt to explain the Fed's actions in a post-meeting news conference. There are several things the Fed could do to try to boost growth, but whether they'd be effective is debatable.

There hasn't been a school strike in Chicago for 25 years. But the current contract between Chicago teachers and the Chicago Public Schools expires at the end of next week, and tensions between the teachers union, the school district and Mayor Rahm Emanuel are ratcheting higher.

Chicago Teachers Union members outmaneuvered the mayor, school officials and anti-union education groups by overwhelmingly approving a measure that allows teachers to strike if contract negotiations fall flat.