Shots - Health Blog
3:34 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Health Insurers Set To Pay $1.3 Billion In Rebates

Credit JS Callahan/tropicalpix / iStockphoto.com
Come summer, mailboxes of 1 in 3 buyers of individual health insurance buyers could get rebate checks.

Originally published on Thu April 26, 2012 3:51 pm

If you buy your own health insurance, there's nearly a 1 in 3 chance that come this summer you'll get a nice little surprise in the mail: money back from your health insurance company.

At least that's the prediction from an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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The Two-Way
3:07 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Court Says Florida Governor's Order To Drug Test Employees Is Unconstitutional

Originally published on Thu April 26, 2012 3:54 pm

A district judge ruled that Florida Gov. Rick Scott cannot mandate random drug testing for state employees.

CNN reports:

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The Record
2:27 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Marooned In L.A. For A Week, Coachella Bands Make Do

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:51 am

The massive Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival came to a close in California on Sunday after two weekends worth of sold-out shows by over 150 artists.

One of those acts was the Austin, Texas, band Explosions in the Sky, which first played Coachella back in 2007 and has seen its profile grow since then.

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It's All Politics
2:02 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Some Campaign Donors Putting Their Money Where Their Mouth Isn't

Originally published on Thu April 26, 2012 2:09 pm

Much of the attention on money in politics this election cycle has been focused on the new superPACs, and with good reason.

Recent court rulings allow superPACs — which officially are independent of specific candidates — to raise and spend unlimited money to support their favorite politician or cause.

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The Two-Way
1:01 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

With A Tweet, A's Player Unleashes Debate: Is 'Kiss Cam' Homophobic?

Credit Jeff Roberson / AP
The video board at Busch Stadium is seen during a popular between-inning feature known as "Kiss Cam."

Yesterday, in the San Francisco Chronicle, columnist Gwen Knapp hailed a tweet from an Oakland Athletics' player as the dawn of the "age of enlightenment."

In short, pitcher Brandon McCarthy sent out a tweet that suggested the "Kiss Cam" — a feature shown on scoreboards across the country in which a camera focuses on couples in hopes of a kiss — was anti-gay.

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The Salt
12:42 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Your 'Food Porn' Verdict? Keep The Photos Coming

Credit Keith Jenkins / NPR
NPR's Keith Jenkins has been known to document an especially tasty meal, like this pho tai from Pho DC.

Originally published on Fri April 27, 2012 8:25 am

Snarky comedians who mock people who share food photos on Facebook and Twitter (see this video) may be good for a chuckle, but they don't have the will of the people behind them.

That's what we've learned from our online survey this week, which asked: "Are your friends bombarding you with 'food porn'?"

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World Cafe
12:25 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Michael Kiwanuka On World Cafe

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Michael Kiwanuka's first full-length album is titled Home Again.

Originally published on Mon August 6, 2012 10:36 am

Michael Kiwanuka combines roots and soul with such old-school, retro-sounding verve, it's hard to believe he's still a rising star — let alone a 24-year-old. Kiwanuka is of Ugandan descent and grew up in Muswell Hill, London.

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Environment and Science
12:03 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Expedition Reaches Destination; Wildlife Corridor Work Continues

Expedition members Mallory Lykes Dimmitt, Elam Stoltzfus, Carlton Ward JR., & Joe Guthrie

Blistered and bug-bitten, a group of conservationists reached their destination of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southern Georgia, on Earth Day. The Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition team set out back in January, at the southern tip of Florida in the Everglades National Park. They made their way up through the sunshine state on foot, by paddle and occasionally on horseback. Their goal has been to garner attention for a vision to link Florida’s already existing protected natural areas, to lands with the potential to be protected.

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Law
11:45 am
Thu April 26, 2012

Sybrina Fulton: 'I Can Wait A Year' For Justice

Days after George Zimmerman was freed on bail to await a second-degree murder trial for shooting Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton, Martin's mother, says she's "willing to wait for justice to be served" in her son's case.

Speaking with Tell Me More host Michel Martin, Fulton also says that she feels like "I have a little hole in my heart. And that little hole is caused by the tragedy of Trayvon's death."

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Business
11:45 am
Thu April 26, 2012

Is Bribery 'Business As Usual' South Of Border?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Now, we turn to a business scandal that could have repercussions on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Wal-Mart, America's biggest retailer, is also Mexico's largest retailer and there, the company has been accused of paying more than $24 million in bribes to Mexican officials to obtain construction permits to build new stores.

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