We travel to Texas and Michigan to talk about two things that influence the way people vote and the power your ballot has: voter ID laws and gerrymandering.  

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Block The Vote: Texas Voter ID Laws + Gerrymandering In Michigan

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Nearly 67 million people use some form of the federal government's health insurance program, which is for those over 65 and younger people with some disabilities. But untangling the multiple different parts can be a headache.

And then there's Medicare Advantage.

Unlike traditional Medicare, which is through the government, Medicare Advantage is a privatized insurance plan. With the help of some star-studded commercials, it's become increasingly popular.

But it's also become controversial. According to a 2023 study from the Brown University School of Public Health, nearly half of those who signed up for Medicare Advantage left their plans by the end of five years.

We try to untangle Medicare, Medicare Advantage and answer your questions about health care as a senior.

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Untangling The Multiple Parts Of Medicare

Taylor Swift dropped her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," at midnight on Friday. 

Like she did with her previous album, "Midnights", she posted a surprise for fans a few hours later: 15 extra tracks on the album. That brings the total track listing to 31 songs.

She's released four albums since 2020, plus four re-recorded albums. Her Eras Tour sold out stadiums across the U.S. last year, and it continues through 2024. T

he hold Taylor Swift has on much of our popular consciousness defies comparison with other current artists.

We discuss Swift's new music and where it fits in her catalogue. 

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1A Record Club: Taylor Swift And 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Here in the U.S., we can't have a people, a country, and a democracy – without, well: the Earth.

Yes, the very large globe that we're sitting on right now. Many of you may be celebrating that today for Earth Day. 

Throughout this election season, we've asked you what's sending you to the ballot box. So far, your responses suggest that climate- is your third most dominant concern after "Trump" and "Democracy."    

For this installment of our weekly politics series, 'If You Can Keep It', we look at how each presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential election is talking about climate and energy policy. 

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'If You Can Keep It': The Candidates And Climate Change

As Donald Trump's trials continue over the course of the spring, Joe Biden is taking advantage of his rival's absence from the campaign trail. 

A Boeing whistleblower made headlines this week, telling the Senate that the aircraft manufacturer is "putting out defective airplanes."

Meanwhile, Israel, with the help of the U.S., more or less successfully defended itself from a missile and drone attack launched by Iran after the former killed Iranian officials in an attack on an embassy in Syria.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, The BBC has now confirmed that more than 50,000 Russian troops have died in the conflict.

We cover the week's biggest headlines. 

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The News Roundup For April 19, 2024

According to the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, at least 70 percent of firearms found in crime scenes in Mexico can be traced back to the neighbors to the north.

Some 250,000 people crossed the southern border into the U.S. in December of last year. The majority of those were people from Mexico.

And survey data pulled by Reuters from the Kino Border Initiative, a large migrant shelter in Nogales, Mexico, shows that violence, not economic factors, is forcing many families to leave Mexico.

We discuss what work is being done to stop the flow of guns into Mexico. 

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Block The Vote: Texas Voter ID Laws + Gerrymandering In Michigan

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