In its closing weeks, the election campaign has turned ugly.

ECONOMIST: The Swedish model

Between them they have spent millions in campaign that has turned increasingly ugly, as NPR's Ina Jaffe reports.

NPR: Democratic Gubernatorial Hopefuls Struggle in California

Politics has turned correspondingly ugly.

ECONOMIST: Unemployment and elections

The quest for a Digital Video Disc (DVD) drive that can record movies and computer files has turned into an ugly street-fight over standards.

FORBES: Standards tangle

And then, in 12 horrific seconds, a sporting event that has inspired, challenged and rewarded Americans for more than a century was turned into something awful, ugly and painful.

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