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Thursday

Health Insurer Aetna Raises Wages For Lowest-Paid Workers To $16 An Hour

Aetna announced one of its largest pay hikes recently. CEO Mark Bertolini says he believes it largely could pay for itself by making workers more productive. Courtesy of Aetna hide caption

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Courtesy of Aetna

Business

Health Insurer Aetna Raises Wages For Lowest-Paid Workers To $16 An Hour

Aetna, the giant health insurance company, raised its minimum wage this month. CEO Mark Bertolini says he expects the raise will pay for itself through increased productivity.

Health Insurer Aetna Raises Wages For Lowest-Paid Workers To $16 An Hour

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Western Hemisphere Wipes Out Its Third Virus

Health worker Jackie Carnegie delivers a rubella vaccine in Colorado in 1972. Ira Gay Sealy/Denver Post via Getty Images hide caption

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Ira Gay Sealy/Denver Post via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

Western Hemisphere Wipes Out Its Third Virus

It took 15 years and 250 million vaccines, but this week, health authorities officially declared North America and South America free of rubella — a virus that can cause severe birth defects.

Western Hemisphere Wipes Out Its Third Virus

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Compton's Cowboys Keep The Old West Alive, And Kids Off The Streets

Derrick Jennings never goes without his hat, boots or cowboy belt buckle. He wears them so it's clear to people that he's a hardworking cowboy. Gloria Hillard for NPR hide caption

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Gloria Hillard for NPR

National

Compton's Cowboys Keep The Old West Alive, And Kids Off The Streets

The city has seen some positive changes in recent years, including a reconnection with the city's rural past. The pastime has given youth an outlet in a region that's at the center of gang violence.

Compton's Cowboys Keep The Old West Alive, And Kids Off The Streets

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He Carried His Mom On His Back For 5 Hours En Route To Medical Care

Amar Baramu carried his 70-year-old mother on his back for five hours, then rode with her on a bus for 12 more, to get her to a hospital for the head wound she suffered during the earthquake. Julie McCarthy/NPR hide caption

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Julie McCarthy/NPR

Goats and Soda

He Carried His Mom On His Back For 5 Hours En Route To Medical Care

The epicenter of the quake that struck Nepal was in the district of Gorkha, a few hours' drive from the capital of Kathmandu. We're just beginning to see the extent of the damage in villages there.

He Carried His Mom On His Back For 5 Hours En Route To Medical Care

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Ex-Gitmo Detainees In Uruguay Protest At U.S. Embassy

Former Guantanamo prison inmates walk between their tents and the U.S. Embassy in Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, where four former prisoners are protesting what they say is an inadequate deal in exchange for permanent asylum. Pablo Porciuncula/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Pablo Porciuncula/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels

Ex-Gitmo Detainees In Uruguay Protest At U.S. Embassy

The men, resettled there after years in detention, say they aren't getting enough assistance. Camped outside the U.S. Embassy, they are seeking housing and other help reintegrating into society.

Ex-Gitmo Detainees In Uruguay Protest At U.S. Embassy

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Documents Show FAA Questioned Mental Fitness of Germanwings Co-Pilot Andreas Lubitz

September 13, 2009 photo of Andreas Lubitz, who is believed to have deliberately crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 into a mountain in southern France on March 24, 2015, killing all 150 people on board. Getty Images/Getty Images hide caption

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Getty Images/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Documents Show FAA Questioned Mental Fitness of Germanwings Co-Pilot Andreas Lubitz

Newly released documents show the FAA initially declined to give Andreas Lubitz a medical certificate for his U.S. pilot's license because of his history of depression.

The Doctor Will Video Chat With You Now: Insurer Covers Virtual Visits

UnitedHealthcare says it will cover doctors' visits by live video on smartphones, tablets and computers. Doctor On Demand hide caption

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Doctor On Demand

All Tech Considered

The Doctor Will Video Chat With You Now: Insurer Covers Virtual Visits

Medical consultation via video is going mainstream. UnitedHealthcare says it will cover doctors' visits by live video on smartphones, tablets and computers. Will people overuse it and boost costs?

The Doctor Will Video Chat With You Now: Insurer Covers Virtual Visits

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The Plan To Give E-Books To Poor Kids

President Obama announced an initiative to give e-books to low-income students while visiting the Anacostia Library in Washington on Thursday. Shawn Thew//LANDOV hide caption

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Shawn Thew//LANDOV

NPR Ed

The Plan To Give E-Books To Poor Kids

Today, President Obama announced a massive effort with major publishers to make thousands of e-book titles free for low-income kids.

The Plan To Give E-Books To Poor Kids

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Is It An 'Uprising' Or A 'Riot'? Depends On Who's Watching

What do you see in this image? An "uprising" or a "riot"? David Goldman/AP hide caption

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David Goldman/AP

Code Switch

Is It An 'Uprising' Or A 'Riot'? Depends On Who's Watching

Words describing the same event can mean very different things. It's no surprise that people can't agree on a label for what's happening in Baltimore.

Is It An 'Uprising' Or A 'Riot'? Depends On Who's Watching

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Can't Get A Job Because Of A Criminal Record? A Lawsuit Is Trying To Change That

Tyrone Peake says he's been fired from three jobs because a crime he committed more than 30 years ago is still on his record. Carrie Johnson/NPR hide caption

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Carrie Johnson/NPR

It's All Politics

Can't Get A Job Because Of A Criminal Record? A Lawsuit Is Trying To Change That

People convicted of minor crimes years ago are suing to overturn a Pennsylvania law that bars them from working full time in nursing homes, locking them out of a fast-growing sector in the economy.

Can't Get A Job Because Of A Criminal Record? A Lawsuit Is Trying To Change That

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