Around the Nation

Duke Gillingham, president of Oasis Foods, in Hillside, N.J., says about two-thirds of his roughly 180 employees declined to enroll in the company health plan for 2015. Many make less than $15 an hour, and found the company plan too expensive.

N.J. Factory Turns To Medicaid To Insure Lowest-Paid Employees

4:28pm January 01, 2016

by Fred Mogul

Starting Jan. 1, midsize companies must offer health insurance to their workers or risk a penalty. A firm that has already faced that problem is helping low-paid employees enroll in Medicaid, instead.

100 Years On, Cleveland Play House Stays True To Its Regional Mission

4:28pm January 01, 2016

by David C. Barnett

It's been called the oldest professional regional theater in the United States. The Cleveland Play House was founded in 1915 by a group of artists and social activists dissatisfied with the commercial fare that dominated theaters at the time. The theater has had its ups and downs, but it's stayed true to its original mission of presenting challenging work with a primarily local cast and crew.

Charles Lord (left), senior hydrologist, explains the mapping procedure used by the Corporation Commission to chart fault lines, earthquakes and disposal wells, as Jim Marlatt, oil and gas specialist, looks on from his desk in Oklahoma City on Nov. 30. St

New Year's Day Quake In Oklahoma City Amid Increasing Seismic Activity

4:14pm January 01, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The state of Oklahoma saw more than 800 earthquakes with magnitude of 3 or greater in 2015.

In 2005, Wayne Rogers was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

National

Wayne Rogers, Trapper John On 'M.A.S.H.', Dies At 82

2:42pm January 01, 2016

by Doreen McCallister

For three seasons on the CBS hit TV show, Rogers played an Army surgeon alongside Alan Alda's character, Hawkeye Pierce.

Nick Hodges and Charlotte Wheelock, on a recent visit with StoryCorps.

National

When The Closest Thing To Home Was A Hospital Bed

2:29pm January 01, 2016

by NPR Staff

They moved to Seattle in search of a better life for their two kids. Instead, they found hospital time, medical bills and 14 months of homelessness. But they made it home eventually — together.

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A SolarCity employee installs a solar panel on the roof of a home in Los Angeles in 2014. California's utilities want to pay new solar customers less for their extra electricity and to add new monthly fees.

Like Night And Day: How Two States' Utilities Approach Solar

2:22pm January 01, 2016

As homeowners embrace solar, utilities are making less money, and that's shaking up their business model. Companies in California and Georgia are handling the growth in dramatically different ways.

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Hunter Renfrow of the Clemson Tigers celebrates scoring a touchdown in the third quarter Thursday against the Oklahoma Sooners during the 2015 Capital One Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Sports

Clemson And Alabama Pummel Opposition, Will Face Off For Football Title

11:32am January 01, 2016

by Christopher Dean Hopkins

Clemson took down Oklahoma 37-17 while Alabama shut out Michigan State 38-0. They'll play in the national championship game on Jan. 11.

An employee drags a palette of recently returned goods through the Optoro warehouse so they can be processed.

Maryland Startup Redirects River Of Rejected Gifts

9:44am January 01, 2016

by Dianna Douglas

Returns of toys and gadgets add up to more than $260 billion every year. Optoro, a startup in Maryland, tries to reduce the cost to retailers, and the cost to the environment.

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Styrofoam Ban Takes Effect In Nation's Capital

6:52am January 01, 2016

The ban is designed to help the environment. It's not clear how Congress will be affected. In 2011, when Republicans captured the House, they restored Styrofoam cups to their cafeteria.

Wis. Mayor Tries To Create New Holiday Tradition

6:33am January 01, 2016

Green Bay kicked off the New Year by parading a llama downtown. The mayor told WBAY-TV that legend says the llama would bring good luck. He confessed later to making up up the legend.

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