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Shots - Health Blog
5:01 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Medicaid Expansion Goes Overlooked In Supreme Court Anticipation

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Credit Adam Cole / NPR
When the U.S. Supreme Court rules Thursday on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, it will also rule on whether the expansion of Medicaid is an unconstitutional infringement of states' rights.
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Originally published on Wed June 27, 2012 6:20 pm

When the Supreme Court announces its long-anticipated decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, all eyes will be on the so-called individual mandate. That's the section of the law that requires most Americans to either have health insurance or pay a penalty starting in 2014.

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Mom And Dad's Record Collection
4:32 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Chris Thile's First Musical Memory

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Credit Danny Clinch
Chris Thile says he was only a year old when he first heard "The Girl from Ipanema."
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By editor

Originally published on Wed June 27, 2012 9:54 pm

It's clear Chris Thile has an ear for music: The 31-year-old mandolinist, best known for his bands Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers, has been playing music his entire life.

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Around the Nation
4:32 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

The State Of Affairs For Veterans Seeking Jobs

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By editor

Originally published on Wed June 27, 2012 6:20 pm

Unemployment rates among veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are higher that their non-veteran counterparts, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki speaks with host Melissa Block about the challenges for veterans in today's job market.

Election 2012
4:32 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Influx Of Puerto Ricans Changes Fla.'s Voter Calculus

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Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
A sign lets voters know they can cast early ballots for the Florida primary election in January at the South Creek Branch Library in Orlando.
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Credit Art Silverman / NPR
The Florida Democratic Party's head of Hispanic outreach, Betsy Franceschini, and Scott Randolph, the chairman of the Orange County Democrats, are working to help President Obama carry the state.
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Credit Art Silverman / NPR
Barbie Snavely works at the Republicans' phone bank in Orange County, Fla.
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By NPR Staff

Originally published on Wed June 27, 2012 9:51 pm

Florida is a perennial battleground state in presidential elections. And within Florida, the area around Orlando is a battlefield where the terrain has changed radically.

It used to be a tossup. But four years ago, Barack Obama won in Orlando — or technically in Orange County — with 59 percent of the vote, a margin of almost 80,000 votes.

What happened in Orlando?

There were several things: The Democrats registered a lot of black voters. Obama ran well among independents. But the biggest difference was the number of new arrivals to the area.

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Presidential Race
4:09 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Translating The Veepstakes

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Credit David McNew / Getty Images
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Credit Korotayev Artyom / ITAR-TASS/Landov
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Credit Kim D. Johnson / AP
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Credit Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images
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Running for president means spending a lot of time convincing the public that you really want the job. Not so if you're seeking the No. 2 spot.

The road to the vice presidency, history shows, is paved with feigned disinterest.

"If you're going to be vice president, you're going to be in the president's shadow," says Jody Baumgartner, a political science professor at East Carolina University. "If you appear to be seeking the vice presidency, drawing attention to yourself, that's not really a quality that a presidential candidate is looking for."

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The Two-Way
4:00 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Chicago City Council OKs Fines Instead Of Arrests For Pot Possesion

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By editor

Originally published on Wed June 27, 2012 4:10 pm

The Chicago City Council voted overwhelmingly to approve a new policy on marijuana possession.

The policy gives police the option of giving a fine to those caught with less than 15 grams. The fine could range between $250 and $500 and doesn't apply to minors or those carrying pot on a park or school grounds, reports The Chicago Tribune.

Previously, law required police to arrest the person and charge them with a misdemeanor.

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It's All Politics
3:27 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Obama Saw Immediate Fundraising Spike After Same-Sex Marriage Announcement

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Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 3:53 pm

In the days following President Obama's announcement that he supports same-sex marriage, anecdotal evidence suggested that the political position had a financial payoff.

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Europe
3:23 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Months After Protest, Russian Rockers Still Jailed

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Credit Sergey Ponomarev / AP
Women in a Russian punk rock group briefly perform a protest song at Moscow's main cathedral, Christ the Savior, in February. The singers criticized the church and Vladimir Putin, who is now president. Three women have been arrested and jailed for months, and the church is demanding harsh punishment.
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Credit Ivan Sekretarev / AP
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is one of three women jailed in connection with the protest. They have been charged with hooliganism and could receive up to seven years in prison. She is shown here in a defendant's cage before a court hearing in Moscow in April.
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Credit Yana Lapikova / AP
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, shown here in February with Vladimir Putin, has demanded a harsh punishment for the women who staged the protest at Moscow's main cathedral.
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Originally published on Wed June 27, 2012 10:45 pm

The Russian government is facing a growing chorus of criticism over its harsh treatment of three women from an all-female rock band who staged a "punk" prayer service last winter in Moscow's most prominent cathedral.

Back on Feb. 21, two weeks before Russia's presidential election, several members of the band Pussy Riot, wearing brightly colored balaclavas, rushed onto the altar of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

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The Two-Way
3:12 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Google Introduces Tablet And Streaming Device

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Credit Kimhiro Hoshino / AFP/Getty Images
Hugo Barra, product management director of Android, introduces Google's low-cost computer tablet Nexus 7 during the keynote speech at Google's annual developer conference on Wednesday.
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By Eyder Peralta

Originally published on Wed June 27, 2012 3:23 pm

Today's a good day for gadget enthusiasts. During its I/O event, Google announced that like Microsoft, it was jumping into the tablet market. The search giant made three big announcements: The Nexus 7, its tablet; the Nexus Q, a streaming device; and a new version of its mobile operating system called Jelly Bean.

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The Two-Way
3:10 pm
Wed June 27, 2012

Microsoft's Greece Headquarters Firebombed By Armed Assailants

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Credit Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP/Getty Images
A security officer stands by the van used by attackers at the entrance of the Microsoft office in an Athens on Wednesday.
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By Eyder Peralta

Early this morning, three armed assailants fire bombed the headquarters of Microsoft in Athens, Greece.

The attackers used a van to ram through the front door and tried to set the building on fire using gasoline, Microsoft Greece's General Manager Ernst-Jan Stigter told reporters. Stigter added that no one was injured.

The AP reports:

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