Valley Mountain Library Consortium

It took over five years for Nathaniel Rich to finish his first novel — maybe because he was writing The Mayor's Tongue secretly, first as a college student, and then while writing film criticism during the day.

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The actor was best known for his portrayal of Jim Phelps, leader of a gang of special agents who battled evil conspirators in the long-running television series. He also masterfully lampooned his straight-arrow image as bumbling airline pilot Clarence Oveur in the 1980 disaster spoof Airplane!. He was 83.

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The number of long-term unemployed women ages 45 to 64 has more than doubled in the past year. As many as 900,000 women in this age group have been without work for at least six months.

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For those who think working 9 to 5 is all takin' and no givin' (as Dolly Parton once sang), there are options for a more flexible work arrangement. Don't know your flextime from your job sharing? Here's a quick primer.

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Researchers set up an experiment to see how prices influence what kinds of food moms buy. They found that lowering the prices on fruits and vegetables did lead to moms buying more. But it didn't stop them from buying junk food, too.

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Organizing for America has held meetings, sent e-mails and knocked on doors advocating for health care, but it hasn't added any oomph to President Obama's top legislative priority. Now it must turn out voters for Democrats in the tough midterm elections.

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Kristy Stumpf, the HR director for a software firm, works from home two days a week — and greets her daughters at the bus stop after school. It's not just parents pushing for flexible work hours these days; millennials and aging boomers are also helping persuade employers to rethink what it means to be on the clock.

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A U.S. couple shot to death within sight of the border with their baby in their vehicle's back seat was among those killed in drug-plagued Ciudad Juarez, officials said Sunday. President Obama expressed outrage over the killings, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon promised a swift investigation.

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In the throes of a vicious drug war, Mexico's border city of Juarez — with its endless wave of kidnappings and executions — has become one of the most violent places on earth. The city is shouldering unfathomable sorrow, and its mothers are the most public face of that suffering.

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Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse earned top billing and the No. 1 seeds for the 2010 version of March Madness. The selection committee rolled out its 65-team bracket Sunday. Competition starts Tuesday with a play-in game, and the tournament goes into full swing Thursday.

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California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger skipped his state's Republican convention this weekend in Silicon Valley. But two candidates hoping to succeed him were there and working hard to win over conservative activists.

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Prepare your brackets, everyone: It's Selection Sunday. Guy Raz speaks with NPR's Mike Pesca about the college basketball teams — and players — to watch as the clock ticks down to March Madness.

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Anne Cady spends her Saturdays at Arlington National Cemetery hunting for tombstones of people she never met. The photos she and other volunteers post online let people anywhere in the world glimpse a loved one's resting place. Cady recently ended one woman's search for a cousin who died before she was born.

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The deadly attacks on the southern city show NATO's top general that the insurgents are ready for the war's next major offensive in their heartland, the Taliban said Sunday. The series of bombings demolished buildings and killed dozens. Residents said they have no confidence that the government or foreign troops can protect them.

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It's March 14 — or 3/14 if you write down the date in the m/d format. And that means it's time to celebrate that mysterious mathematical relationship between a circle's diameter and its circumference: 3.1415926535...

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Afghanistan produces about 90 percent of the world's supply of opium poppies, the plant used to make heroin. About half of that supply comes from the Helmand province. Earlier efforts by NATO forces to destroy the poppy crops were unsuccessful; when the Taliban came back, so did the farmer's poppies. In the most recent offensive, NATO took a mostly hands-off approach, leaving the farmers and their crops alone. Guest host Audie Cornish speaks with author and journalist Gretchen Peters about the effects of the NATO offensive around Marjah on the poppy trade in Afghanistan.

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Tens of thousands of protesters are rallying in Thailand's capital. They are demanding that the government dissolve the parliament and hold new elections. The demonstrations are peaceful so far, with protesters singing, waving signs and dancing, but police are braced for possible violence as demonstrations are expected to last several days. Guest host Audie Cornish updates the latest developments in Bangkok.

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After months of working with Republicans to fashion a joint overhaul of financial regulation, Sen. Christopher Dodd will go it alone Monday. As Banking Committee chairman, Dodd will unveil his proposal to rewrite regulations with the aim of avoiding another financial meltdown. Guest host Audie Cornish talks with NPR's John Ydstie about what to expect.

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After three years, the FBI is winding down its investigation into more than 100 cold case murders from the civil rights era. Guest host Audie Cornish talks with FBI special agent in charge Cynthia Deitle about what the investigations have yielded.

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Annoying overdraft fees on insignificant purchases may be on their way out. Starting this summer, banks will have to get their customers to "opt in" if they want overdraft protection on debit card transactions. But the new rules won't necessarily ease a person's cash flow; banks are finding other ways to make the money back.

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