Nancy Youssef / MCT
Sgt. First Class John Russell, 45, has extended his tour of duty in Afghanistan, hoping the economy will turn around while he serves.
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Guardsman would rather face Taliban than U.S. economy
By Nancy A. Youssef | McClatchy Newspapers
Around the barren military base, which sits at the crossroads of the Taliban's poppy trade route, news arrives slowly. However, the domestic economic meltdown has reached even here. The National Guardsmen who serve with the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Corps Regiment, based here, say they fear that their jobs won't be there when they return. With uncertainty at home, some are doing what they once considered unthinkable: extending their tours. » read more
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Olivier Douliery / Abaca Press / MCT
Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention
Spotlight
Review: Policy's important but so are Obama's clothes
By Halimah Abdullah | McClatchy Newspapers
President-elect Barack Obama radiates a certain stylistic sophistication that's at once Kennedyesque in its reverence for clean-cut, American style and modern in its confident embrace of a look that's both effortless and urbane. Some hope his style will encourage younger African-Americans to "pull their pants up." » read more
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