Shots - Health Blog
12:27 pm
Wed December 21, 2011

Lack Of Autopsies After Elderly Die Conceals Health Flaws

Credit Andres Cediel / Frontline
Death investigations among seniors are often skipped, leaving the growing population vulnerable to neglect and abuse.

Abuse in nursing homes and suspicious deaths among seniors often go undetected because postmortem examinations are becoming few and far between.

Earlier this year, an NPR News investigation found that many jurisdictions stopped doing autopsies on people who died over the age of 60, unless it was obvious that a violent death occurred. A lack of resources, both financial and staffing, was often to blame.

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Politics
12:11 pm
Wed December 21, 2011

Mass. Senate Race A Battle Over Who's More Populist

Republican Scott Brown of Massachusetts made a point of calling Ted Kennedy's old U.S. Senate seat the "people's seat," and he won it in large part by casting himself as the opposite of that glamorous and privileged dynasty.

Brown won in a special election in 2010. Now, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law professor and Wall Street watchdog, is raising Democrats' hopes they can win the seat back. Just months after announcing her first-ever candidacy, polls show Warren pulling out ahead of Brown.

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The Two-Way
12:00 pm
Wed December 21, 2011

For First Time, Women Share 'First Kiss' At A Navy Homecoming

When Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta kissed Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell today in Virginia Beach, a little bit of history was made.

As The Virginian-Pilot explains:

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Monkey See
11:55 am
Wed December 21, 2011

Callin' Oates: The Hotline You Don't Need (But Might Call Anyway)

Credit Dave Hogan / Hulton Archive/Getty Images
John Oates (left) and Daryl Hall (right) of pop duo Hall & Oates, seen here in 1987. These days, they're available on your phone.

Originally published on Thu December 29, 2011 4:08 pm

Is it pure whimsy that makes something like "Callin' Oates" appealing?

If you pick up your phone and call 719-26-OATES — at least as of this writing — you'll get a computerized woman's voice telling you what numbers to press to hear one of four Hall & Oates songs.

The question, of course, is ... why?

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World Cafe
11:46 am
Wed December 21, 2011

The Goat Rodeo Sessions On World Cafe

Credit Jeremy Cowart
Left to right: Chris Thile, Aoife O'Donovan, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Stuart Duncan of The Goat Rodeo Sessions.

Four string virtuosos, each hailing from bluegrass or classical backgrounds, recently came together to bring the world a wonderful mix of the two genres in The Goat Rodeo Sessions.

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The Two-Way
11:40 am
Wed December 21, 2011

Iraqi Prime Minister Urges Kurds To Turn Over Vice President

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called on Kurdish athorities to turn over Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who sought refuge in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

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North Korea In Transition
11:27 am
Wed December 21, 2011

With Kim's Death, Defectors See Chance For Change

Originally published on Wed December 21, 2011 7:09 pm

While North Korean mourners trudged through snow in Pyongyang to pay last respects to their "Dear Leader," defectors from the North now in South Korea are celebrating the sudden death of Kim Jong Il, who died from a heart attack this past weekend.

And as the outside world tries to figure out how much control his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, has over the nuclear-armed state, the defectors are focusing on trying to kickstart a revolution in North Korea.

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The Two-Way
11:05 am
Wed December 21, 2011

FAA Issues New Rules Aimed At Keeping Tired Pilots Out Of Cockpits

Credit David Duprey/pool / Getty Images
Feb. 16, 2009: Flowers are left in memorial near where Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence, N.Y. Fifty people died. Pilot fatigue was cited as a factor.

Saying that they will help make sure that airline pilots are rested before they fly, the Federal Aviation Administration today unveiled new rules about the amount of time off they must get between flights and how long they can be on the job.

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Education
11:00 am
Wed December 21, 2011

Brutal Incidents Shine Light On Band Hazing Culture

The death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion, Jr. continues to reverberate at schools nationwide. His death exposed a hazing culture unfamiliar to many, but band directors and school administrators have been dealing with the problem for many years.

Economy
11:00 am
Wed December 21, 2011

Why Your Job Search Shouldn't Take A Holiday

Many job seekers assume they won't make much progress in their search over the holidays. Not so, says Lauren Weber of The Wall Street Journal. Weber explains why job hunters may want to consider keeping their search alive through the holiday season.

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