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Elizabeth was just 25 and visiting the then-colony of Kenya, when word came her father the King had died. The royals will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee by visiting the nations that once made up the British empire.

People in Homs, Syria, say government forces are shelling the city and that at least 15 to 20 people have died so far today. The renewed attacks follow an even deadlier weekend barrage — human rights groups say government forces killed about 200 people in Homs on Saturday, making it perhaps the bloodiest day since opposition protests began last spring.

It's the season of the Polar Bear Plunge, when many Americans take a challenge to leap into icy water. If they can find cold water. In Rehoboth Beach, Del., people leaped into ocean water that was 47 degrees — the warmest on record.

Across the corn belt, more farmers are putting up their own grain bins. In the past year alone, farmers nationwide have added some 300 million bushels of on-farm storage. By storing their own grain, farmers can choose when and at what price they want to sell, and that can translate into thousands of dollars in profit. And this has grain buyers — like grain elevators and ethanol plants --working to keep their edge in the market. Kathleen Masterson of Harvest Public Media reports.

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Good morning. Here's the latest on the crisis in Syria. The U.S. State Department says it has closed the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, and evacuated its diplomats. The U.S. also issued a warning for all American citizens to leave the country immediately. A State Department spokewoman says the embassy was shut because of concerns that it's not sufficiently protected from armed attack.

The New York Giants came back with a last-minute score to beat the New England Patriots 21-17 Sunday night for New York's fourth Super Bowl title. It was a rematch of the 2008 NFL championship, when Eli Manning led New York past New England to ruin the Patriots' bid for a perfect season.

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The military-led government in Egypt, in a defiant gesture, says it will put on trial 19 Americans and some two dozen others, over work they've been doing to help Egypt in its transition to democracy. Those facing charges include the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, along with others working for nonprofits promoting civil society and good governance.

Minnesota holds its Republican caucuses on Tuesday. But in the race for the White House, these caucuses are just a nonbinding straw poll.

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Our periodic look at state finances takes us next to New Mexico. The situation there looks a lot less awful than it did.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

After three years of painful cuts, the state has a projected surplus. The question now is what to do with the money. Here's NPR's Ted Robbins.

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After several days reeling from a public relations debacle, The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation shifted Monday into recovery mode.

After announcing that it would withdraw funding from Planned Parenthood screening programs last Tuesday — and then reversing that decision three days later — the foundation now faces the challenging task of repairing its image and trying to lure back disillusioned donors.

One of the nation's largest breast cancer charities, the foundation spends tens of millions of dollars annually on breast cancer research, education and screening.