Around the Nation

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe speaks at a rally promoting the expansion of Medicaid in the state in front of the Capitol in Little Rock on March 7.

Arkansas Medicaid Expansion Attracts Other States' Interest

9:57am March 26, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Arkansas is proposing to enroll people newly eligible for Medicaid in the same private insurance plans available to individuals and small businesses. It's caught the attention of several other Republican-run states that had been holding out on the Medicaid expansion.

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Opposition Blocks Return-Free Tax Filing In U.S.

9:57am March 26, 2013

In some countries, taxpayers can sign up to receive a tax bill. There was an effort to bring return-free filing to the U.S. but it came up against stiff opposition. David Greene talks to ProPublica's Liz Day about her report on return-free filing. ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

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Abortion Opponents Gear Up For More Battles

9:57am March 26, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

In North Dakota, voters will decide next year whether to approve a constitutional amendment saying life begins at conception. A number of other bills in that state await the governor's signature including one that prohibits abortion if a fetal heartbeat is present at about six weeks. In Arkansas, a ban at 12 weeks passed earlier this month. Abortion opponents hope to get one of those laws before the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Ford Unit Apologizes For Demeaning Ads

9:57am March 26, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

Ford has said it is sorry for print ads depicting three bound and gagged women stuffed in the trunk of an Indian-made compact car. The ads, created by an Indian agency, were never distributed commercially, and were apparently not intended for release.

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Hey Punxsutawney Phil! Where's Spring?

9:57am March 26, 2013

The groundhog prognosticator predicted an early spring. One shivering Ohio prosecutor filed a light-hearted criminal indictment against Phil for fraud. But the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club says it's not Phil's fault. He says he misinterpreted the groundhog's message.

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Staff Sgt. Jessica Keown, with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss in El Paso Texas, served with a female engagement team, or FET, in Afghanistan.

National

Women In Combat, And The Price They Pay

2:30pm March 25, 2013

For years, the Army has effectively ignored the ban against women in combat, though it's still hard for them to receive full recognition for what they've achieved. "Battle-fatigued female soldiers" is a new and uneasy concept for American society.

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N.J. Beach Houses Sell Well Despite Sandy

11:13am March 25, 2013

by Scott Gurian

Despite the enormous destruction Hurricane Sandy caused to the Jersey Shore, realtors who specialize in the region say business has been steady. Plenty of home buyers and investors appear eager to jump into the market. Damaged homes and lots have been selling for discounted rates, while prices are inching up on houses that survived since there are simply fewer properties available.

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National

Free Tax Help Protects Low-Income Filers From Pricey Loans

9:50am March 25, 2013

by Pam Fessler

As this year's tax deadline approaches, hundreds of thousands of low-income Americans are relying on free services to help with returns. The services are an alternative to schemes that often prey on people who need quick cash.

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Golfer Sergio Garcia Climbs Tree To Avoid Penalty

8:34am March 25, 2013

Pro golfer Sergio Garcia hit a ball into a tree at the Arnold Palmer Invitational over the weekend. The easy choice? Just take a 1-stroke penalty and drop the ball to the ground. But Garcia climbed 15 feet up the tree and played the ball from there.

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Marriage equality supporters take part in a march and rally ahead of U.S. Supreme Court arguments on legalizing same-sex marriage in New York on Sunday.

Politics & Government

Millennials And Same-Sex Marriage: A Waning Divide

7:07pm March 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Recent polls show 70 percent of those aged 18 to 32 favor same-sex marriage. But the topic isn't settled, and for many young people, especially young Republicans, the issue of gay marriage is still a stumbling block.

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