Why Abby Won’t Talk

Abby Barnes’ hand shoots up nearly every time her teacher asks the 19 squirmy first-graders in her suburban Philadelphia public school to match letters of the alphabet to the sounds they make. Sitting up front with her pinchable cheeks framed by long blond hair, Abby, 7, looks as eager as any of her classmates to blurt out an answer

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What’s the Right Punishment for Balloon Boy’s Parents?

Hoax is such a flimsy word, far too feeble to describe the wickedness of which the Heenes, Richard and Mayumi, now stand accused. Theirs was sleight of hand for the soul: now we see it, now we don’t; now we watch in horror and fear for their child’s life, a 6-year-old boy, frightened, cold, lost in the clouds; now we learn he was up in the garage attic with snacks, while Mom and Dad auditioned for their 15 minutes of fame.

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‘Dancing’ champ: No need for Abdul as judge

It says something about the popularity of “Dancing With the Stars” that the show’s professional dancers have become almost as famous as the celebrities they’re paired with. Take Mark Ballas, who last season waltzed and tangoed his way to a first-place finish with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson — his second mirror ball trophy since he joined the hit series in 2007

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