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Sales of traditional hybrids, plug-ins and all-electric cars are down about 5 percent in 2014 — while truck and SUV sales have jumped.

Sales of traditional hybrids, plug-ins and all-electric cars are down about 5 percent in 2014 — while truck and SUV sales have jumped. Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

Business

As Gas Prices Drop, Hybrid Sales Shift Into Low Gear

Gas prices are falling — and so are hybrid car sales. Analysts say better gas mileage for traditional vehicles, combined with low gas prices, is giving hybrids a run for their money.

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Members of the California Nurses Association rallied in Sacramento, Calif., in May, in anticipation of contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente that began in this fall.

Members of the California Nurses Association rallied in Sacramento, Calif., in May, in anticipation of contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente that began in this fall. April Dembosky / KQED hide caption

itoggle caption April Dembosky / KQED

Shots - Health News

California Nurses' Union Pulls Ebola Into Contract Talks KQED

Ebola training, staffing and protective gear are bargaining chips as nurses in California hammer out a new contract with Kaiser Permanente. Their requests mirror the concerns of nurses nationwide.

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A notice in a store window in New York City announces a retail job opening. Now that unemployment has slipped below 6 percent, there's renewed interest in what the Federal Reserve's target for joblessness should be.

A notice in a store window in New York City announces a retail job opening. Now that unemployment has slipped below 6 percent, there's renewed interest in what the Federal Reserve's target for joblessness should be. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Economy

Drop In Unemployment Raises Debate On Optimal Rate

Now that unemployment has slipped below 6 percent, there's renewed interest in what the Federal Reserve's target for joblessness should be. Some economists worry that inflation will resurface.

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One rationale for extending Medicaid coverage to more people is to help them get to a doctor or clinic before a minor illness becomes a medical emergency.

One rationale for extending Medicaid coverage to more people is to help them get to a doctor or clinic before a minor illness becomes a medical emergency. iStockphoto hide caption

itoggle caption iStockphoto

Shots - Health News

Spike In ER, Hospital Use Short-Lived After Calif. Medicaid Expansion KQED

Previous research found that going on Medicaid increased a poor person's use of costly emergency room visits. Now an analysis suggests that initial spike in ER visits quickly tapers off.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy, seen in a photo taken last year, says his resignation Thursday was "by mutual agreement."

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy, seen in a photo taken last year, says his resignation Thursday was "by mutual agreement." Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP

The Two-Way

LA Schools Superintendent Steps Down, Defends Tenure

John Deasy's resignation, announced by the Los Angeles school board Thursday, comes after high-profile tussles with the teachers union and a troubled initiative to put an iPad in every student's hand.

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When people see charts like this, they think the drug is more effective than if they just read about the data, a study finds.

When people see charts like this, they think the drug is more effective than if they just read about the data, a study finds. Source: Cornell University hide caption

itoggle caption Source: Cornell University

Shots - Health News

Just Seeing Charts And Graphs Makes Drug Claims More Credible

Graphs look so impressive. Even graphs that include no new information made people more likely to think that a drug is effective, a study finds. Can you inoculate yourself against that bias?

Nina Pham, 26, steps off a plane Thursday night at a municipal airport in Frederick, Md. An ambulance was waiting to take her to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

Nina Pham, 26, steps off a plane Thursday night at a municipal airport in Frederick, Md. An ambulance was waiting to take her to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Ebola-Stricken Nurse Appears Well In Video

Nina Pham, 26, was filmed before being flown by executive jet from Dallas to Frederick, Md., and then transferred to the National Institutes of Health hospital in Bethesda on Thursday.