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The Two-Way
11:55 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Libya's High Court Strikes Down Law Banning Glorification Of Gadhafi

Credit Mahmud Turkia / AFP/Getty Images
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi attends the opening session of the Africa-EU summit in November 2010, before the current conflict. Now that the U.S. military has intervened in Libya, many wonder what the endgame is.

Libya's Supreme Court decided on Thursday that its citizens should have the right to glorify Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled the country for more than three decades until his ouster last year.

Law 37, which called for prison sentences for those who spoke well of Gadhafi and for those who published bad news about the February 17 revolution, was challenged by a lawyer who argued the law violated the freedom of speech.

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Music Reviews
11:22 am
Thu June 14, 2012

On 'Banga,' Patti Smith Pays Homage To Friends

Originally published on Thu June 14, 2012 4:39 pm

Featuring Patti Smith's former New York punk-era colleague Tom Verlaine on solo guitar, "April Fool" is one of the prettiest songs on Smith's new album, Banga. Verlaine sends out long, thin, delicate tendrils of sound as Smith's voice suffuses the melody with full-throated urgency. Although Smith has said, with typical art-democratic directness, that "almost everybody in the world can sing," a few songs on Banga make you aware of what a good voice she has.

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Around the Nation
11:22 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Radio's Bryan Fischer Tries Pushing Romney Right

Credit Troy Maben / AP
Before hosting Focal Point, Bryan Fischer was the chaplain of the Idaho State Senate and the head of the Idaho chapter of the American Family Association.

Originally published on Thu June 14, 2012 1:56 pm

In April, Mitt Romney hired Richard Grenell, an openly gay man, to serve as his campaign's national security spokesman. Within hours, Grenell was being attacked by a Christian radio talk show host named Bryan Fischer, whose Focal Point call-in show reaches more than 1 million listeners a day.

Nine days after Fischer began his on-air attack, Grenell resigned. He had been the only openly gay member of Romney's campaign staff.

The Christian right and Fischer saw Grenell's resignation as a "tremendous victory," says New Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer.

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The Salt
11:17 am
Thu June 14, 2012

Report Urges Food Stamp Program To Clarify Purchases, Corporate Profits

Credit iStockphoto.com
The public really doesn't know much about what food stamp recipients are buying, and how much companies are profiting.

Originally published on Thu June 14, 2012 1:30 pm

Anthony Smukall's shopping list might look similar to that of many American's: Milk, eggs, whole grain bread, apples, assorted berries. But Smukall buys these products with his monthly SNAP allotment – money he receives from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps).

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Shots - Health Blog
11:14 am
Thu June 14, 2012

U.S. Olympic Team Sprints Ahead With Electronic Health Records

Credit Andrew Villegas / KHN/iStockphoto.com
Transporting reams of athletes' medical information has become a major burden for the U.S. Olympic Committee, and is one reason it's switching to electronic medical records.

Originally published on Mon December 17, 2012 1:13 am

Team USA is used to racing with digital clocks. Now, it's time for digital health records.

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