Ongoing Coverage:
Asia
4:05 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

After Kim's Death, No Signs Of Power Struggles

The body of Kim Jong Il, the deceased leader of North Korea, now lies in state in the capital, Pyongyang. His sudden death has raised concerns about possible power struggles. But so far, all outward signs suggest that the North Korean leadership is lining up behind his son, Kim Jong Un.

The Two-Way
4:02 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

Scores Dead In Syria; Thousands Of Women Protest In Egypt

Credit Amr Nabil / AP
Hundreds of Egyptian women march at Cairo streets, angered by the recent violence used against them in clashes with police.

Originally published on Tue December 20, 2011 4:07 pm

A day after Syria said it would allow Arab League observers into the country, the deadly clashes with government forces continued. Al Arabiya reports that activists said at least 100 Syrian army defectors were killed or wounded and 36 people were killed in clashes with police.

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Still No Job: Over A Year Without Enough Work
3:29 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

Marriage Economy: 'I Couldn't Afford To Get Divorced'

Credit iStockphoto.com

Lindsay Reynolds lives in Waterloo, Wis. Even before the recent economic downturn, Reynolds and her husband struggled to make ends meet. They quarreled, especially over money.

"We never had enough income to pay bills, to pay rent. We were constantly late on rent," Reynolds says. "He always wanted to go do things. He wanted to go buy things. And I said, 'No, we can't. We have to be fiscally responsible.' "

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It's All Politics
3:07 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

'We The People': NPR Readers Would Ratify Four New Amendments

Credit ASSOCIATED PRESS
The people have spoken: NPR readers would add four new amendments to the Constitution.

In "Reconstituting The Constitution: How To Rewrite It," we invited readers to share their own thoughts on how we might change the founding document for 2011. Now the people have spoken.

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The Two-Way
2:52 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

A Mighty Release This Is: Star Wars Video Game Is EA's Most Expensive

Credit EA
Part of the packaging of "Star Wars: The Old Republic."

Originally published on Tue December 20, 2011 2:59 pm

Opinion
2:48 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

A Quest To Seek The Sublime In The Spiritual

Eric Weiner's most recent book is Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine.

Surveys show religious people are happier than the secular? Why is this? Is it — as an atheist friend quipped — that "ignorance is bliss?" Not long ago, that's what I would have concluded. Like many people of my ilk — cerebral East Coaster, highly skeptical, and, yes, latte drinking — I reflexively viewed the religious as less sophisticated. And, if I'm brutally honest here, somehow less intelligent, or at least more narrow-minded. I don't feel that way anymore.

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The Two-Way
2:25 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

From Homeless To White House To 'The Martha Stewart Show'

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:11 am

When NPR's Ari Shapiro earlier this month filed a report on the 2011 holiday decorations at the executive mansion, he focused some of his attention on the diverse group of volunteer decorators who were called on to help dress up 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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World Cafe
2:21 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

Garland Jeffreys On World Cafe

Credit Courtesy of the artist.
Garland Jeffries' latest album is called The King of In Between.

The title of Garland Jeffreys' latest album is an apt description of his life's work overall: The King of in Between. A singer-songwriter whose blend of rock 'n' roll, reggae, blues and soul is as edgy as it is full of social commentary, Jeffreys knows what it means to be an outsider, as evidenced by his accessible yet unclassifiable music.

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Presidential Race
2:00 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

Looking For Boost, Candidates Hit The Ground In N.H.

Credit Charles Krupa / AP
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul laughs as he sits down with Elizabeth Rose Chamberlain, 3, of Epping, N.H., while campaigning at the Early Bird Cafe in Plaistow, N.H., on Tuesday.

With three weeks to go before the New Hampshire primary, presidential campaigns are working at full speed to reach out to voters.

Political strategists say a good ground game — a campaign's ability to identify voters and get them to the polls — is worth 3 points at the ballot box. That's a boost any candidate would want.

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Politics
2:00 pm
Tue December 20, 2011

House Rejects Senate's Payroll Tax Extension

The House blew up the end-of-year deal to extend the payroll tax holiday, but it insists it's the Senate's fault. If both chambers fail to forge a compromise, taxes go up, unemployment benefits expire and payments to Medicare doctors get cut by 27 percent — all starting Jan. 1.

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