From NPR News

Apple has about 47,000 workers in the U.S. That's not a huge amount for such a profitable and influential company. Now the tech giant is saying it has actually created about 10 times that many jobs indirectly.

Some economists are skeptical of the claim. And the move comes as Apple is facing increased criticism and scrutiny over labor practices at factories it outsources to in China.

As the news comes in tonight about the Republican presidential campaign's 10 Super Tuesday contests, we'll be helping out the Elections Desk by live blogging.

Before we get deep into the news of the Super Tuesday primaries, here's something from the lighter side of politics.

Federal prosecutors have charged five men with responsibility for some of the biggest computer hacks in the past few years. The FBI says the hackers penetrated the computer systems of businesses like Fox Broadcasting and Sony Pictures, stole confidential information and splashed it all over the Internet.

But what's most unusual about the case is how investigators cracked it — with the help of an insider who became a secret government informant.

The stock market has been having a good year, so you might have been expecting some sort of a "correction."

Today may have been that day.

The film version of the young adult book sensation The Hunger Games opens March 23rd. The hype around the movie has sent the sales of the already best-selling trilogy to new heights. And publishers are eagerly churning out more books set in post apocalyptic dystopian worlds — just like The Hunger Games.

The latest federal review of the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion again blames Massey Energy for the deaths of 29 coal miners and says Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) failures did not directly contribute to the blast.

Under the federal health care law, money is going out around the country to help school campuses boost health services for their students.

At Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles students often visit a modest trailer at the back of the sprawling campus. It's in a neighborhood near downtown L.A. where houses are missing windows and have peeling paint.

The GOP presidential hopefuls addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, D.C., on a day their campaigns battled in 10 state contests. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich all criticized President Obama for his handling of Iran, and the president returned fire during an afternoon news conference.

The Washington Monument was seriously damaged by an earthquake last summer that left hunks of stone lying around the base of obelisk. Months later, National Park Service officials are finalizing a plan for repairs, but the structure will remain closed for at least another year.

Men like it when women let them know when they're happy. Women like it when men share their anger and frustration.

Well, that sounds like a bit of a problem.

But the good news, researchers say, is that what matters most in a relationship is whether it feels like the other person is really trying to relate to the emotions, whether they're happy or sad.

It's not so hard to understand why men get satisfaction out of seeing their wife or girlfriend happy. Wouldn't anyone?

Robert Sherman — one half of the songwriting team behind Disney movies and major hit musicals — has died. He was 86. The Oscar-winning Sherman Brothers, Robert and Richard, wrote some of the most enduring Disney songs of all time. Their output was astounding: Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Aristocats.

John Lasseter, of Pixar and Disney, once said, "You cannot forget a Sherman brothers song for your life."

Almost 25 years since the first organic farm took root in Hong Kong, the appeal of organic food is finally catching on. But restaurateurs, chefs, suppliers and organic experts say scant supply is leaving consumers hungry for more, and what is available still costs too much.

Transcript

JOHN DONVAN, HOST:

Radio host Rush Limbaugh ignited controversy when he called a Georgetown law student a slut and a prostitute after she testified before a congressional committee and called for federal health care coverage to include the cost of contraception. Now, several days have gone by since Limbaugh made those comments, but the debate seems to be getting only bigger. The blogosphere is ablaze with different opinions. The op-ed pages are still filling up with comments on this, on what Limbaugh said and on its social and political meaning.

President Obama recently said, "Iran's leaders should understand that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." Some say containment represents a viable option against Iran, but others argue that Cold War strategies do not apply to Iran.

Adult children caring for elderly parents may feel guilty, isolated and resentful. But some parents being cared for do too. Dr. Lillian Rubin knows that struggle well, as she has found herself at odds with her well-meaning daughter over what her daughter wants for her, and what she actually needs.

A growing field of medical research aims to pinpoint exactly why pets can make us happier and healthier. Some studies show that animal interaction can increase a person's level of oxytocin, a hormone associated with love and trust. And the animals also benefit from positive human interaction.

During his first news conference of the year, President Obama defended his decision not to intervene militarily in Iran and Syria.

"Sometimes [force] is necessary but we don't do it casually," he said. "There is a cost and we don't play politics with it."

Obama described the situation in Syria as "more complicated" than the situation in Libya and said deploying the military is not the only way to solve problems.