All Things Considered on WAMC

A top foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney on Wednesday defended statements the Republican presidential candidate made in Israel about the cultural differences between Israelis and Palestinians.

Scientists reported new evidence Wednesday that supports a provocative theory about cancer.

Three separate teams of scientists said they had, for the first time, shown that so-called cancer stem cells can be found naturally in brain tumors and early forms of skin and colon cancer.

Evidence has been mounting in recent years for the existence of these cells, which would be especially insidious. They are believed to resist standard chemotherapy and radiation and fuel the growth of tumors and relapses.

When I say citius, you say altius; when I say altius, you say fortius. Or don't. That's fine, too, traditional even. But these Olympics have conspicuously defied traditional notions by having cheerleaders, in a few different styles, at a few different venues. In basketball, dance teams perform between matches. In beach volleyball, highly choreographed teams delight attendees.

The Internet is slowly becoming a less anonymous place. YouTube has a new policy encouraging commenters to use their real names, and many news sites have switched to a login system run by Facebook.

News sites that still allow anonymous comments are finding there are legal risks. The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane, Wash., has spent the last few months trying to protect the identity of a reader who saw a photo of a Republican Party official in Idaho named Tina Jacobson, and then posted a disparaging comment.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says America's national security priority should be preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and he was talking tough about this in his recent stop in Jerusalem.

"History teaches with force and clarity that when the world's most despotic regimes secure the world's most destructive weapons, peace often gives way to oppression, to violence, or to devastating war," Romney said. "We must not delude ourselves into thinking that containment is an option."

A new report by an environmental group is pointing to what it says is a clear sign of climate change: The frequency of storms in the region with extremely high rain or snowfall is up 85 percent since 1948.

Environment America says New England leads the country in the increasing frequency and intensity of severe storms, with the weather events more than doubling in frequency in New Hampshire.

In Vermont, the group says the amount of precipitation being dropped by the biggest annual rain and snowstorms is up an average of 30 percent.

The Vermont State Police say a Clarendon man is the state's first victim of bath salts.

An autopsy determined that the June 23 death of 28-year-old Christopher Tsacoyeanes was caused by an overdose of a variety of drugs commonly known as bath salts.

The office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the death was accidental substance abuse.

Police say troopers investigating the death of Tsacoyeanes recovered a large amount of chemicals at his home.

The former head of the Vermont State Police has been chosen to be Rutland's new police chief.

James Baker had been serving as interim chief in Rutland when a committee charged with finding a permanent chief for the city recommended him for the job.

The Rutland Herald says the 13-member committee was unanimous in choosing Baker. The decision must be ratified by the Rutland Police Commission, but no opposition is expected.