Music Reviews
11:22 am
Thu June 14, 2012

On 'Banga,' Patti Smith Pays Homage To Friends

Originally published on Thu June 14, 2012 4:39 pm

Featuring Patti Smith's former New York punk-era colleague Tom Verlaine on solo guitar, "April Fool" is one of the prettiest songs on Smith's new album, Banga. Verlaine sends out long, thin, delicate tendrils of sound as Smith's voice suffuses the melody with full-throated urgency. Although Smith has said, with typical art-democratic directness, that "almost everybody in the world can sing," a few songs on Banga make you aware of what a good voice she has.

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The Salt
11:17 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Report Urges Food Stamp Program To Clarify Purchases, Corporate Profits

Credit iStockphoto.com
The public really doesn't know much about what food stamp recipients are buying, and how much companies are profiting.

Originally published on Thu June 14, 2012 1:30 pm

Anthony Smukall's shopping list might look similar to that of many American's: Milk, eggs, whole grain bread, apples, assorted berries. But Smukall buys these products with his monthly SNAP allotment – money he receives from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps).

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Shots - Health Blog
11:14 am
Thu June 14, 2012

U.S. Olympic Team Sprints Ahead With Electronic Health Records

Credit Andrew Villegas / KHN/iStockphoto.com
Transporting reams of athletes' medical information has become a major burden for the U.S. Olympic Committee, and is one reason it's switching to electronic medical records.

Originally published on Mon December 17, 2012 1:13 am

Team USA is used to racing with digital clocks. Now, it's time for digital health records.

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The Two-Way
11:12 am
Thu June 14, 2012

20,000 Pages Of Boy Scouts' 'Perversion Files' Ordered Opened In Oregon

The state of Oregon's Supreme Court ruled today that "20,000 pages of so-called perversion files compiled by the Boy Scouts on suspected child abusers over a period of 20 years" must be opened to the public, The Associated Press reports.

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The Two-Way
11:10 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Spain's Borrowing Costs Skyrocket After Second Downgrade

Credit Paul White / AP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seen on a screen as a broker arrives at the stock exchange in Madrid on Thursday.

After Moody's became the second ratings agency to downgrade Spain's sovereign debt, the country's borrowing costs skyrocketed to record highs.

"The interest rate — or yield — on the country's benchmark 10-year bonds rose to a record 6.96 percent in early trading Thursday, its highest level since Spain joined the euro in 1999 and close to the level which many analysts believe is unsustainable in the long term," the AP reports.

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The Two-Way
10:34 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Your Shoes May Say A Lot About You

Originally published on Thu June 14, 2012 9:43 pm

Shoes can supposedly tell us more about a person than just whether they're sensible or stylish.

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Education
9:58 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Teachers Open Up On Why Kids Really Drop Out

It's the end of the school year, and teachers and students are enjoying some downtime. But some kids won't be going back to school next fall because about a million students drop out every year. Host Michel Martin discusses the dropout crisis with teachers from three cities with high dropout rates: Las Vegas, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

Politics
9:58 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Miami Mayor Bucks Party Line On Voting

Miami's Republican Mayor Tomas Regalado moves against his party and his governor. He tells host Michel Martin that Florida's controversial voter eligibility program, that is intended to purge non-citizens from its rosters, isn't necessary.

Television
9:58 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Plus-Size Designer: Bigger People Need Good Style

Transcript

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

There is a new reality show in town. It's on the TLC Network. That's the network known for popular style and fashion hits like, "What Not to Wear" and "Say Yes to the Dress." Now a new show focuses on how fashion is trying to catch up to our changing population, clothing designed for plus-sized women. "Big Brooklyn Style" follows Lisa Dolan, owner of Lee Lee's Valise, as she designs her own looks and helps her customers find looks that work for them.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BIG BROOKLYN STYLE" )

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Shots - Health Blog
9:21 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Scientists Tackle The Geography Of Nature Vs. Nature In Maps Of U.K.

Originally published on Thu June 14, 2012 12:50 pm

Scientists don't debate the old nature vs. nurture question much these days. The consensus is that there is no winner: Both your genes and your environment shape your development and your health. What's still up in the air is how they combine to put you at risk for diseases or social problems. And that matters for people trying to solve them.

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