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4:34 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Fla. Gov. Scott: Health Care Decision Will Be Devastating

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 5:53 am

For some elected officials in Florida, Thursday's Supreme Court decision came as an unexpected shock. Republican Governor Rick Scott and his administration have done as little as possible to comply with the law. Now they have some tough decisions to make.

Planet Money
3:34 am
Fri June 29, 2012

After Years Of Uncertainty, A Health-Care Business Gets An Answer

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 9:59 pm

It's 9:45 a.m. Thursday at the headquarters of Health Plan One, a health insurance agency that sells private policies. It's the morning of what is the biggest court decision ever regarding health insurance. Will the court uphold the health-care bill? Will it strike it down?

"Either way is fine with me," says Bill Stapleton, the company's CEO.

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StoryCorps
3:32 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Stories, Old Friends, A Good Time 'Til The End

Credit StoryCorps
Bishop Ricardo Ramirez visited StoryCorps in in Mesilla, N.M., to remember his grandmother, Panchita Espitia.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 4:15 pm

Bishop Ricardo Ramirez's grandmother lived a long and full life. But it was the way Francisca Espitia approached her final years that may have impressed her grandson the most.

Ramirez, 75, recently visited StoryCorps to remember his grandmother, whom he called Panchita, in a family story that begins in 1981. That's when he was elevated to bishop in the church. The occasion called for a reception — so Ramirez called his grandmother.

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Judging The Health Care Law
1:48 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Business Owners Mixed On Health Care Ruling

Credit Kris Connor / Getty Images
Protesters stand outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. The court's ruling upholding the federal health care law is expected to have wide-reaching implications for businesses.

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 4:13 pm

Depending on whom you ask, the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the federal health care law will either help businesses grow or it will make them more hesitant to hire.

Thursday's decision to uphold the law, including the provision requiring individuals to buy insurance, has some far-reaching implications in the business world.

Dan Danner, CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, a business lobby that helped bankroll the suit seeking to strike down the law, said the 5-4 decision was unambiguously bad for business.

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Sports
1:22 am
Fri June 29, 2012

NBA Draft: Hornets Select Davis With No. 1 Pick

Best in the country and No. 1 and 2 in the NBA draft. The celebration goes on for Kentucky's kids.

The Wildcats became the first school to have the top two picks and tied a record with six players taken overall Thursday night.

After the New Orleans Hornets made the long-expected selection of forward Anthony Davis with the first pick, Charlotte followed by taking fellow freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

"It's crazy," Davis said. "Michael is a great player. We have two down and four more to go. Hopefully, all of them will go in the first round."

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Judging The Health Care Law
6:09 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

The Reaction In Florida: From Protesting To Partying

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 7:32 pm

Just after 10 a.m. on Thursday, a cheer went up at Hispanic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit in Casselberry, Fla., just north of Orlando.

The enthusiasm for the Supreme Court's decision to uphold nearly all of the federal health care law was unmistakable at the nonprofit, which advocates for health care for the local Latino population.

The news took Josephine Mercado, the nonprofit's founder and executive director, by surprise — and changed her plans for Friday.

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Law
6:09 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law

Credit Dana Verkouteren / AP
This artist's rendering shows Chief Justice John Roberts (center) speaking at the Supreme Court on Thursday. From left are Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan. The court voted 5-4 to uphold President Obama's health care law.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 10:45 am

  • NPR Special Coverage: The Health Care Decision

Shock, dismay, relief, confusion — all those emotions played out Thursday when the U.S. Supreme Court announced its 5-to-4 decision to uphold almost all of President Obama's health care overhaul.

The ruling, with shifting majorities on different provisions and multiple dissents, covered close to 200 pages and provoked initial confusion. Both Fox News and CNN got it wrong, reporting at first that the individual mandate had been struck down. But when the dust cleared, the law labeled derisively by Republicans as "Obamacare" was largely intact.

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Around the Nation
4:13 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Cheers, Jeers Outside Court After Health Care News

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 7:32 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block. The Supreme Court decision today to uphold the president's health care overhaul law drew strong reaction around the country, including right outside the court where a small sea of supporters and opponents had gathered.

(SOUNDBITE OF CROWD CHANTING)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Unintelligible) Obamacare. (Unintelligible) Obamacare.

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Around the Nation
4:13 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Local Health Care: The Law's Impact On States

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 7:32 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The Supreme Court's ruling effectively ends the state of limbo the health law has been in for months now. The court upheld almost the entire health law. It decided the most controversial feature, the so-called individual mandate that requires most people to either have insurance or pay a penalty, is constitutional. Chief Justice Roberts, who wrote the opinion for the five justice majority, said the mandate is okay because the penalty is a tax.

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Around the Nation
4:13 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Cooler Temperatures Mean Better News For Colorado

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 7:32 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. In Colorado today, some optimism, despite the hundreds of homes that have been destroyed by a wildfire. Since Saturday, the Waldo Canyon fire has scorched an area about four miles wide by seven miles long. Wind and hot, dry weather helped fan the flames and helped them spread quickly.

Now, as NPR's Jeff Brady reports from Colorado Springs, the weather has improved for fire crews.

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Law
4:13 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Ohio Attorney General: Ruled Against, Not Defeated

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 7:32 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Now to the attorney general of Ohio, Republican Mike DeWine. Ohio was among the plaintiffs seeking to strike down the Affordable Care Act. And again, they ended up on the losing side today as the court upheld the law, including the individual mandate. Mike DeWine, welcome to the program.

MIKE DEWINE: Good to be back. Thank you very much.

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Shots - Health Blog
4:10 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Health Care Law Upheld: Now What?

Credit Seth Wenig / AP
A bulletin board in New York's Jamaica Hospital offers advice for uninsured patients.

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 4:26 pm

Now that the Supreme Court has decided that the Affordable Care Act can stand, it's time to think about what the law actually means for your medical coverage. The requirement that everyone buy health insurance (the individual mandate) has gotten all the attention, but there's a lot more to the health law. So let's review the changes the law has already wrought and those that still lie ahead:

WHAT'S IN EFFECT:

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The Two-Way
2:24 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Good News: 'Great Progress' Reported In Fighting Colorado Springs Fire

Credit Ed Andrieski / AP
Smoke was rising earlier today from the Waldo Canyon wildfire that's threatening Colorado Springs, Colo.

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 6:44 pm

Our day began with talk of "hell in the review mirror" when a reporter from The Gazette in Colorado Springs fled his home earlier this week as the Waldo Canyon wildfire approached.

But the newspaper now reports that:

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Mental Health
2:07 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Concrete Steps For Creating A Happier Office

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 3:03 pm

Conventional wisdom holds that happier workers are also more productive. But precisely how to boost staff morale has eluded many employers. But some researchers say there are specific ways companies can build a better workplace, from moving coffee stations to increasing diversity.

Health Care
2:04 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

What's Next For Healthcare, At Home And On The Hill

Originally published on Tue July 17, 2012 8:02 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan at the Aspen Ideas Festival, but the big news today comes from Washington, where the Supreme Court upheld President Obama's health care law in a series of five-to-four votes. In a surprise, Chief Justice John Roberts joined the four liberal members of the court.

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