The Two-Way
5:13 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

Trayvon Martin Death: A Father Who Lost A Chance To Make Good

Credit Jason Reed / Reuters /Landov
Tracy Martin, father of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

We don't have all of the facts from the night of Feb. 26 when Trayvon Martin was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer. But in remembering his son, Tracy Martin has touched on how the Florida teen saved his father from a house fire when the boy was 9 years old. On Wednesday, I asked Martin to tell me what happened that day.

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The Salt
5:12 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

Studies Show Why Insecticides Are Bad News For Bees

Credit iStockphoto.com
One class of insecticides makes an entire corn plant poisonous to many insects that feed on it, including bees.

The search for the killer of America's bees is a little bit like an Agatha Christie novel.

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The Two-Way
4:58 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

Massey Mine Boss Pleads Guilty As Feds Target Execs

Originally published on Thu March 29, 2012 7:34 pm

Thursday's guilty plea and plea agreement from the former superintendent of the Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia is a key step in the effort to seek criminal charges further up the corporate ladder at Massey Energy, according to court documents and the U.S. Attorney for the southern district of West Virginia.

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Shots - Health Blog
4:38 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

Deconstructing Some Of The What-Ifs From The Supreme Court

When Kaiser Health News asked for questions during the Supreme Court arguments this week, one that didn't seem to get addressed in court was this:

What happens to people who have already benefited from the law? This would include seniors who got rebates in the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole," for example. Would they have to give the money back to ... the manufacturers? The government?

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The Two-Way
4:37 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

Auditor Finds 'Serious Issues' At Apple Supplier Foxconn

Credit Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images
A Foxconn International Holdings Ltd, complex is pictured on November 2010 in Shenzhen, China.

A review completed by the Fair Labor Association found "significant issues with working conditions at three factories in China operated by Apple's major supplier Foxconn."

Apple joined the Fair Labor Association after various reports detailed poor working conditions at the supplier factories. Those reports spawned protests against Apple and Apple responded by saying the FLA would audit the Chinese factories.

In its press release the FLA said the big issues revolved around overtime. The FLA reports:

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The Two-Way
3:42 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

House Passes 2013 Budget That Includes Private Option For Medicare

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) says his budget offers "real solutions."

Voting along party lines, the House of Representatives passed a 2013 budget that was crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin.

Politico reports:

"The 228-191 vote gives the embattled GOP leadership what it most wanted: a show of party unity behind a bold election-year vision that includes new private options for Medicare and a simplified tax code.

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The Two-Way
3:29 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

Amid National Strike, Hundreds Of Thousands Protest In Spain

Credit Dani Pozo / AFP/Getty Images
People attend a demonstration in Madrid on Thursday during a national strike.

Hundreds of thousands across Spain took to the streets to protest the latest austerity measures proposed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The protests were the culmination of a 24-hour general strike that affected air travel and public transportation.

The AP reports:

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Shots - Health Blog
3:19 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

How Your Brain Is Like Manhattan

Credit MGH-UCLA Human Connectome Project
This image shows the grid structure of the major pathways of the brain. It was created using a scanner that's part of the Human Connectome Project, a five-year effort which is studying and mapping the human brain.

It turns out your brain is organized even if you're not.

At least that's the conclusion of a study in Science that looked at the network of fibers that carry signals from one part of the brain to another.

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It's All Politics
3:12 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

For Romney, Rationale Behind Rubio Endorsement May Be Bigger Prize

Credit Alan Diaz / AP
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., talks at the Hispanic Leadership Network in Miami on Jan. 27.

Mitt Romney's endorsements this week by two important Republicans — a former president and perhaps a not-too-distant-future presidential running mate — are not unexpected.

But the reasons former President George H.W. Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio give for backing the front-runner are a little less standard political fare.

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Asia
2:51 pm
Thu March 29, 2012

Headed For The Butcher, Chinese Dogs Are Rescued

To say that people in China eat dogs is something of a stereotype.

Sure, some still do, but these days, more and more Chinese are buying dogs as pets and treating them like beloved family members.

In the last year, that growing affection has taken a radical turn. Activists have begun stopping trucks along the highway carrying dogs to slaughter and then negotiating their release.

A Last-Minute Rescue

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