Midday Roundup: Obamacare backing, Chinese hacking, fast food snacking

Florida to expand Medicaid after all: Florida Gov. Rick Scott reversed course yesterday on Obamacare, announcing his state will expand Medicaid to 1.3 million people. According to the Washington Post, Scott is the seventh Republican governor to switch positions on the Affordable Care Act. Although he maintains his personal opposition to the healthcare reform package, Scott said during a news conference late Wednesday it was pointless fighting what the U.S. Supreme Court and American voters had made the law of the land.

Mixed economic news: Jobless claims rose more than expected last week. But economists don’t see it as a sign of major change in the nation’s very slow, overall economic growth. January’s rise in home sales could be contributing to the optimism. The National Association of Realtors now says we’ve transitioned into a seller’s market. Of course, that depends largely on where sellers live.

China denies cyber attacks: Private-sector cyber security firms have emerged at the forefront of the fight against Chinese hackers, who have launched highly coordinated attacks against American government agencies and businesses. All the evidence points to the hackers as highly trained military operatives. China—no surprise here—denies it.

Police problems in Pistorius murder investigation: Prosecutors in South Africa are playing defense in the bail hearing for athlete Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Yesterday, the Olympian’s lawyers accused police of shoddy evidence collection. Today, officials admitted the chief investigator in the case is facing murder charges himself. Shortly after the confirmation, police officials appointed a new lead investigator to the case.

Let’s do lunch: And finally, here’s a little bit of lunch-hour encouragement. Americans are reducing the number of calories they get from fast food. According to a study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 percent of our calories came from hamburgers and pizzas in 2010, down from 13 percent in 2006. People who are overweight get more calories from fast food, so make your lunch choices carefully.