Morning Must Reads: March 4

Obamacare in Court Again

Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Wednesday in the case of King v. Burwell, the latest challenge to President Obama’s signature health care law and one that could leave it gutted from an unexpected direction

The Weird Benefit of Salty Diets

The latest research, which the scientists stress is still in its early stages, hints that there may be some benefits to salt that have gone unnoticed

Alabama Halts Same-Sex Marriage

The state’s all-Republican supreme court ordered probate judges on Tuesday to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples

How Airlines Cheat You Out of Frequent Flyer Miles

A new study shows that a switch by airlines to frequent flyer programs based on dollars spent rather than miles traveled could cause around 45% of passengers to lose out on points

Concern Over Iran’s Nukes Drowns Out Its Growing Role

Consternation over Iran boiled on Tuesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared its nuclear ambitions a threat to Israel. But at the Pentagon, the focus was on Tehran’s growing role in Iraq’s fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria

New Hormone Discovered That Curbs Weight Gain, Diabetes

Scientists have discovered a new hormone that normalizes the metabolism and slows weight gain caused by high-fat diets — mimicking the health benefits of exercise. MOTS-c increases insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to more effectively process glucose

The Most Expensive Places to Book a Hotel in the U.S.

Planning a spring trip within the U.S.? You might want to budget a bit more money for a hotel. The 20 most expensive American cities to stay in are surprisingly scattered across the nation, from Butte, Mont., to Panama City, Fla.

Top General Says U.S. Should Consider Arming Ukraine

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey argued during a Senate hearing on Tuesday that the allegedly Russian-backed rebellion in Ukraine threatens to undo more than six decades of peace in Europe and could potentially splinter NATO

NFL Duo to Donate Brains to Trauma Research

New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford and former NFL receiver Sidney Rice both announced that they will donate their brain to science research after their death. Weatherford said he’s doing it “more to help generations after us”

Calif. Teacher Found Hanging Knew Suicide’s Devastation

The California teacher whose students found her hanging in her classroom knew the devastating effects of suicide: Her own father went missing and was found dead with a bullet wound to his head after committing suicide nearly four years earlier

Khloé Kardashian Wants to Join Fashion Police

The star of Kourtney & Khloé Take the Hamptons is interested in joining E!’s Fashion Police now that Kelly Osbourne has left the show, according to People Kardashian, 30, has previously appeared on the network for red carpet commentary

Teach for America Passes a Big Test

New teachers who sign up with Teach for America for two-year classroom stints in some of the nation’s highest-poverty schools are just as effective as other teachers in those same schools, and sometimes more so, a new study finds