Morning Edition on WAMC

Nurses are the backbone of the hospital — just ask pretty much any doctor or patient. But a new poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health finds 34 percent of patients hospitalized for at least one night in the past year said "nurses weren't available when needed or didn't respond quickly to requests for help."

Since nurses provide most of the patient care in hospitals, we were surprised at the findings. We wanted to find out more. We wanted to know what was going on from nurses themselves. So we put a call-out on Facebook.

Differences remain over increasing the state’s minimum wage. While the Assembly Speaker is persevering, Governor Cuomo and Senate Republicans remain negative about the bill’s chance of success.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports…

For weeks, there’s been a stalemate in Albany over the issue of raising the state’s minimum age, with Assembly Democrats backing the idea, Senate Republicans opposing it, and Governor Cuomo remaining neutral in the middle, saying he generally backs the measure, but feels that the GOP can’t be convinced.   

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee says the troubles facing Curt Schilling's video game company represent a "tragedy" for the state.

Chafee briefed reporters Wednesday on efforts to help 38 Studios survive and prevent the state from having to pay its debts.

Chafee says he's frustrated by the company's failure to provide information on its finances. He says he knows the company has laid off employees.

Still, Chafee says he's determined to try to help Schilling's company despite what he says are "terrible" indications about its health.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest is postponing his visit to Vermont where he had planned to meet with Governor Peter Shumlin and other business and government leaders.  WAMC’s Tristan O’Neill reports…

Charest planned to sign a trade and environmental protection agreement with Shumlin on Thursday and then attend events with the state's business community and at the University of Vermont.

Shumlin's office says Charest will remain in Quebec City so he can attend debates in the national assembly.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says the state’s pension fund has “successfully weathered” another economic storm. He reports returns are the highest since global market meltdown of 2008.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports…

Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says despite another volatile year in the markets, the pension fund for the hundreds of thousands of state worker retirees performed at a rate of 5.96%. The total fund is valued at $150.3 billion dollars, the highest since before the Great Recession.

Vermont State Police say human remains, including part of a skull, have been found on private property that was being excavated in Northfield.  More from WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley......

Police say the skull piece and other skeletal remains found at the construction site will be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory for further investigation.

The office of the Vermont chief medical examiner and a University of Vermont anthropologist determined that the bones are human.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is endorsing Bob Turner in the three-way Republican primary to take on Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. WAMC’s Dave Lucas has details…

Giuliani said Wednesday the New York City congressman whose district will disappear next year due to redistricting is the only candidate who can beat Gillibrand in the November general election.