The Spark
2:49 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

The Wayne-Saver

Bill Hausrath waxes poetic about tourist dollars, play-writing, the Wayne Theatre building, and Confederate General Jubal Early.

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The Two-Way
2:32 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

No One's Claimed Mega Millions Win, Maryland Lottery Official Says

We still don't know who bought the three winning tickets in Friday's $656 million Mega Millions lottery drawing — one in Illinois, one in Kansas and one in Maryland.

And we still don't know what's going on with Mirlande Wilson, the Maryland woman who has made headlines by claiming to have purchased a big winner, but who hasn't yet provided any proof.

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The Spark
2:23 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

Cheetah Chrome Roars Again

Cheetah Chrome (Mercy Harris) from an image by QuickDrawPhoto.com

Housewife and mommy Mercy Harris is also roller derby queen "Cheetah Chrome."  She recently got a rollerworld promotion:  now she's a "jammer."

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Shots - Health Blog
2:17 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

Across America, The Grip of Prescription Painkillers Tightens

Credit Sue Ogrocki / AP
Hydrocodone is a key ingredient in the prescription painkiller Vicodin.

Originally published on Sat April 7, 2012 8:58 am

Tens of millions of Americans turn to powerful painkillers to ease their sufferings. But an analysis on the sales of two prescription drugs over a decade is particularly worrisome.

Check out The Associated Press' interactive map at the end of this post. It uses data from the Drug Enforcement Agency to show how sales of oxycodone and hydrocodone ballooned from 2000-10.

You can click on individual states to see which areas had the biggest increases.

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The Spark
2:09 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

Monticello Road Project's Peter Krebs

 New York City Marathon photographer Peter Krebs moved to Charlottesville's Belmont neighborhood and got entranced by the story and the people of the historic Monticello Road.   He's been photographing the people --including Mysterious Kroger Man.

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The Two-Way
1:58 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

'Three Cups' Author Mismanaged Charity, Will Repay $1 Million

Credit Central Asia Institute
Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stone Into Schools, with schoolchildren in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

The author of Three Cups of Tea has agreed to repay $1 million to a charity he founded, after the Montana Attorney General's office found that he had mismanaged the nonprofit by spending charity money on personal items.

The AP reports that Greg Mortenson misspent Central Asia Institute funds on "family vacations and millions on charter flights."

The AP adds Mortenson pretty much had unchallenged control of the non-profit:

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The Two-Way
1:55 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

'Kill The Head, The Body Will Die,' NFL's Gregg Williams Heard Telling Players

Credit Bill Haber / AP
Gregg Williams, then a coach with the New Orleans Saints, in August 2011.
Economy
1:50 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

Just How Strong Is The Job Market?

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Job seekers attend a career fair in New York City. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the quick drop in unemployment might have been a reversal of overzealous cutbacks during the financial crisis.

Originally published on Fri April 6, 2012 5:44 am

The monthly employment report Friday could help answer a key question about the economy: Will the recently strong job growth slow once employers finish replacing the people they fired during the depths of the recession?

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Around the Nation
1:00 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

Cyclists: Do You Really Obey Traffic Laws?

Bike lanes accommodate cyclists and help with visibility, and some people view the lanes as a way to facilitate urban transportation. But sharing the road has its challenges. Drivers bristle at the thought of losing parking spaces, and drivers and pedestrians both worry about reckless riders.

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Africa
1:00 pm
Thu April 5, 2012

A Military Coup Creates Political Crisis In Mali

Mali is in political crisis after a coup d'etat in March that toppled the president and drove him into hiding. An Islamic rebel group has taken control of the north of Mali. NPR foreign correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arcton discusses the rapidly changing situation from the capital city Bamako.

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