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Health insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross said it won't participate in California's new insurance market for small businesses. Anthem, a unit of WellPoint Inc., is California's largest insurer for small employers. This surprising move could hamper the state's ability to enroll businesses in its new exchange called Covered California that opens Jan. 1 as part of the federal healthcare law. Instead, Anthem said it will keep selling coverage to small firms outside the exchange in direct competition with the state-run market. Anthem also remains one of 13 health insurers that will offer policies to individuals in Covered California. Nonetheless, Anthem's...

A Texas high school student has filed suit against her school district, claiming she was punished for refusing to recite the Mexican national anthem and pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment. Brenda Brinsdon, then 15, told TheBlaze exclusively in 2011 that students in her intermediate Spanish class were instructed to recite the Mexican anthem and pledge individually in front of their peers at Achieve Early College High School in McAllen, Texas. Brinsdon refused, telling TheBlaze at the time that “Reciting pledges to Mexico and being loyal to it has nothing to do with learning Spanish.” She...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F7oIzji5ABY

Beyoncé did not sing the national anthem live at President Obama’s inauguration. Millions of viewers around the world were stunned by the singer’s spectacular rendition of the anthem but The Times has learnt that she was lip-syncing to a pre-recorded backing track. A spokeswoman for the Marine Corp Band Kristen DuBois said it was standard procedure to record a backing track and Beyoncé decided shortly before her performance to rely on the studio version rather

California´s largest for-profit health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, is seeking to raise rates an average of 18% for more than 630,000 individual policyholders, drawing scrutiny from regulators and the ire of consumers already struggling with soaring premiums. Some Anthem customers may see rates rise as much as 25% in February under the company´s proposal at a time when medical inflation is running at historic lows nationwide. The increases are among several others proposed by California insurers, including Aetna Inc. and Health Net Inc. California insurance regulators will take the next month to review whether these rate increases are warranted,

In a move aimed at providing unity in a country plagued with decades of conflict and civil unrest, Iraq is seeking to replace its flag and national anthem. "We are determined to finish the new flag and anthem this year, in this legislative session," MP Ali Shlah, the chairman of parliament's culture and media commission, told AFP. Shlah said a new anthem and flag "will be a unifying factor" for Iraqis...

Check out the ad hoc performance of the fastest man on the planet, Mr. Usain Bolt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxN825ALFUw&feature=youtu.be

Is it just me? I was watching the Olympics tonight in a restaurant. There was no sound. Gabby Douglas was receiving the Gold medal for her all-around performance in gymnastics. She did wonderful from what I saw. BUT when she received the Gold, she did not put her hand over her heart when they played the National Anthem. She was holding flowers in the middle of her body with her right hand and had her left hand behind her back.. I blew it off, kinda. But hubby saw it too and we both went into shock. I have never seen...

So this is very cool. William Dillon was sent to prison for murder at the age of 21 and spent the next 27 years behind bars. The only problem is that Dillon didn't commit that murder, as was later proved, thanks in large part to the necessary work of the Innocence Project. Dillon, though, doesn't seem to be consumed by bitterness (which would be thoroughly understandable). Rather, he's making the most of his newfound freedom. For instance, he asked to sing the National Anthem before a Rays game, and on Wednesday night that wish was granted ...

March 3 is National Anthem Day. Today is the day to celebrate The Star-Spangled Banner. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner during the war of 1812. In August 1814 the British detained Dr. William Beanes as a prisoner of war. Beanes was a friend of Key. Key and a United States negotiator boarded a British vessel where Beanes was being held and negotiated his friend’s release. The British decided to capture Key and the negotiator. They were held until after the attack on Fort McHenry which guarded the harbor and city of Baltimore, Maryland. The story goes that...

So does any bimbo really prepare anymore to learn the words of the national anthem? At the start of the 49ers game, she inserted "vallantly" rather than "gallantly". Good grief.

• Members who visit a Walgreens on or after January 1, 2012, and the claim is rejected (because Walgreens is no longer in network) • Members who use Walgreens, are on maintenance medication(s) and are approaching their refill date • Members who use Walgreens, are on maintenance medication(s) and missed their refill window

While looking for music for my wife and I to sing to, I discovered this.It's just a few, but dynamic minutes

I don't know WHO that guy was/is who sang the national anthem to kick off the game at Chicago stadium, but he SANG (not performed) in the most onwderful way. The crowd was roaring and cheering at his rendition and broke into a great USA USA USA chant ... but Fox broke away to a commercial. Wish I could been there. GREAT day. I don't even care if the Falcons win. Chicago deserves it for picking THAT GUY to sing, and letting him sing it that way. WOW!!!

First it banned the words, now the whole song. Tiny Goshen College in Indiana has banned the "The Star Spangled Banner: at all sporting events because the Mennonite school's president considers the National Anthem's words to be too violent. The 1,000-student school had already banned the words last year, but the band could still play the music for patriots in attendance. Now, the school has banned the song entirely, according to NBC Sports. The school’s board of directors told college President Jim Brenneman to “find an alternative to playing the National Anthem that fits with sports tradition, that honors country...

Tea Party Member Stuns Crowd! ORIGINAL!!!

GOSHEN, Ind. — The Goshen College Board of Directors announced today that it has asked President James E. Brenneman to find an alternative to playing the Star-Spangled Banner that fits with sports tradition, that honors country and that resonates with Goshen College's core values and respects the views of diverse constituencies. The Board took the action during its regular meeting, June 3-4, and today released a Decision Statement, which is available at www.goshen.edu/anthem. The Board expressed a strong commitment to advancing with President Brenneman the vision for Goshen College to be an influential leader in liberal arts education with a...

Goshen - A small northern Indiana college has decided to stop playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at sporting events after starting to do so for the first time last year. Goshen College's board of directors says it will find an alternative that honors the country and the Mennonite Church-affiliated school's pacifist traditions. The 1,000-student college has been playing an instrumental version of the national anthem, followed by a peace prayer, before games and other events. Some were upset with the school's decision last year because the song's lyrics contain references to using war and military might to defend the country.

I had not planned to write about the Super Bowl or its entertainment, but after seeing and hearing it, I’m going to do it; so forgive me a small, but intermediate, critique of the lousy state of modern “music” and culture. We were getting ready to go to our next-door neighbors’ house to watch the Super Bowl, and we had our radio tuned to the National Football League broadcast of the pre-game. So, here comes the National Anthem, sung by Christina Aguilera. First of all, I have long hated the trend of singers nowadays to do these wild vocal gymnastics...

With the release of Kid Rock’s terrific pro-freedom and pro-American anthem “Born Free,” and the latest installment of John Ondrasik’s "For the Troops" compilation, I got to thinking about songs that go against the so-called liberal grain of pop culture and espouse either a pro-military, pro-American, or just pro-liberty theme.Some are overtly topical to the political or cultural situation in their time or even battle cries. Others are merely personal anthems that project an American sense of independence, self-reliance or willingness to fight for what is right. They are alike in their timeless appeal. Here are my Top 10, with...