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Navigating the American healthcare system can be a challenge.

Every year, insurance companies reject millions of claims by patients seeking many types of treatment — everything from MRIs and surgeries to medications. And appealing those denials can be challenging.

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that patients under the Affordable Care Act only appeal about 0.1 percent of claims that are rejected.

A new investigation by ProPublica and Capitol Forum looks into the world of health insurance denials, and what that appeal process looks like.

We discuss what that investigation found and hear your stories.

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This week, the College Board released the updated framework for its advanced African American Studies course amid backlash from conservative lawmakers over the curriculum.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education banned the course from being taught in the state's public schools.

In a statement, the FDOE called the course a violation of state law and lacking in historical value, a claim that many experts and historians refute.

Critics say it's a further attempt by conservative politicians to limit what and how history – particularly racial history – is taught.

We discuss the role of politics in determining school curriculum.

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There's been a lot of buzz about alcohol lately. Last year, more than a third of U.S. adults of legal drinking age decided to go sober for an entire month as part of a challenge known as "dry January."

That's an increase from the 21 percent of people who took part in 2019, according to food and drink research firm CGA.

We discuss Americans' relationship with alcohol.

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What comes to mind when you think of Disney? Princesses searching for love? Talking animals saving the day? Theme parks with fireworks lighting the sky?

The answer is different depending on who you ask.

The company will enter its 100th year as the largest entertainment firm in the world. Disney is worth $180 billion and had four of the ten highest-grossing films of 2022.

But the company's journey hasn't been a fairytale. From accusations of poor employee pay and a lack of diversity in their content, even at hundred Disney has a lot of growing to do.

We discuss the past, present, and future of Disney.

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California is still reeling after three mass shootings – including two that happened within three days.

Five former Memphis police officers were indicted on murder charges in the death of Tyree Nichols on Thursday. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis fired the five Black officers for violating department policy after Nichols' arrest earlier this month.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that the U.S. will send 31 M-1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine for its fight against Russia. This was a U-turn by the federal government after months of saying it would not send tanks.

And some 80 percent of China's population has supposedly contracted COVID-19, that's according to a prominent Chinese government scientist. For context, that's more than one billion people. Last weekend there were 13,000 COVID deaths in less than a week, in addition to the 60,000 deaths that have been reported since December.

We cover all this and more during this week's News Roundup.

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The Sundance Film Festival is returning to Park City, Utah, with a slate of more than 120 independent films making their debut to an in-person crowd for the first time in two years.

The festival attracts filmmakers and actors from around the globe hoping to become the next "Little Miss Sunshine" or "Get Out."

The festival also features a variety of films centering the female experience, including "The Pod Generation." It's set in the future where couples can give birth through a detached artificial womb or pod.

We discuss this year's notable films, and the state of independent films in 2023.

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Approximately two dozen American diplomats in Havana, Cuba, first heard piercing, metallic hissing in 2016. They began experiencing nausea, vertigo, headaches, and other cognitive ailments, but doctors haven't been able to figure out what could be making them sick.

Theories include the use of sonic weapons launched by hostile foreign actors like Russia. But the CIA has dismissed that idea, saying most cases of "Havana Syndrome" actually stem from other pre-existing medical conditions. Still, they acknowledge that some cases are unexplainable.

The new investigative podcast "The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome" explores what we know about this mysterious illness – and what questions remain.

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There are growing efforts to ban the popular social media app TikTok by some U.S. lawmakers.

Negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on how to keep TikTok in the U.S. are ongoing; but some legislators are still trying to ban Tik Tok's parent company ByteDance from doing business in the country entirely.

How is this different from former President Donald Trump's efforts in 2020? Is there a way to keep TikTok in the U.S. while addressing national security concerns?

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In the new mystery series "Poker Face", the protagonist possesses an uncanny ability to tell when anyone is lying.

This gift lands the main character – Charlie Cale, played by Natasha Lyonne – in a sticky situation with a casino manager looking to exploit her talents. It forces Charlie on the run and sparks a murder-solving spree as she travels to new towns in each episode.

We discuss Lyonne's role in "Poker Face," how the show fits into modern streaming dramas, and Lyonne's career spanning more than three decades.

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Conservatives who initially blocked McCarthy from the speaker's gavel have walked away with key committee assignment roles. President Biden travels to California to visit areas hit by extreme weather. And the tech layoffs continue, with Microsoft's announcement that 10,000 workers will be let go.

The world's elite meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The British foreign secretary encourages the US to step up its own weapons supply to Ukraine. And China deals with surging COVID-19 cases.

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