Morning Edition on WAMC

Officials at the Rutland Regional Medical Center are considering a plan to close the hospital's inpatient rehabilitation unit, one of only three in Vermont.  WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…

If the Rutland hospital decides to close its unit, the remaining inpatient units would be at Mount Ascutney Hospital in Windsor or Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.

Rutland's 12-patient inpatient rehab unit helps patients recover from strokes, head or spinal injuries, joint replacements and some long-term ailments.

Lori Anne Madison has been eliminated from this week's Scripps National Spelling Bee. At six years old, she's the youngest ever to compete.

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The Massachusetts House of Representatives has voted to keep a bill that would require all employees of the state's Gaming Commission to be subject to full criminal background checks and drug screenings.  WAMC’s Tristan O’Neill reports…

State representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to override Governor Deval Patrick's veto on the measure.

Listen to Paul Caiano's WAMC Regional forecast.  Paul Caianois a meteorologist at WNYT Newschannel 13. He graduated from SUNY Albany in May of 1993 with a B.S. in the field of Atmospheric Science/Meteorology.

Well the Celtics raced out to a 15-point first half lead… but it wasn’t enough…

ESPN had the coverage of Game 2 last night in Miami...

That Dwayne Wade three-point play, three of his 23 points, helped the Heat rally to beat the Celtics in overtime 115-111.  Lebron James poured in 34, and Mario Chalmers added 22 for Miami, who completed its biggest comeback win in franchise playoff history.  Rajon Rondo netted 44 points for the Celtics, who will host Game 3 tomorrow night in Boston. 

David Greene checks in with John Wertheim of "Sport Illustrated for an update on the French Open. The big headline from week one is Serena Williams' first-round loss. That's the first time she has lost in the first round in a major tournament.

Fifty years ago this month, comic book artists Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the Incredible Hulk to the world. The Hulk is the volatile alter ego of Dr. Bruce Banner, a physicist who's inadvertently exposed to radiation. As a result, whenever Dr. Banner gets angry or upset, he transforms into a giant, raging monster, capable of stunning feats of strength.

New voter ID laws and other voting restrictions have been enacted in a number of states since the last major election. And that's raised special concerns among African Americans, who feel they're being targeted. Black church leaders and the Congressional Black Caucus met in Washington Wednesday to find ways African-American voters aren't discouraged from turning out in November.

In recent days, three Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule. In the past year, it's been reported that more than 30 people have set themselves on fire and most have died. Renee Montagne talks to Robert Barnett, an expert on Tibet, for more on why Tibetans have been protesting Chinese repression by setting themselves on fire.