Even though it's been nearly eight months since political rivals in Iraq came together to form a coalition government, key positions in that government have yet to be filled, and political infighting continues.

At issue is the fact that Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who's backed by the country's Shiites, and his main rival, Ayad Allawi, who's backed by the Sunnis, simply cannot agree on who should run the ministries of defense and interior.

The NBA lockout is in its second week, and players are not working. And one Kentucky-based company is looking to hire the Miami Heat’s Dwayne Wade. Amid the lockout, Dwayne Wade tweeted a question.  He asked if anyone was hiring.  It was probably a joke, but as it turns out, there is at least one company who would like to hire the shooting guard.

FRANKFORT – The electrocution of a man who allegedly was attempting to steal copper wire from an electric substation highlights just how dangerous this illegal activity can be, the Kentucky Public Service Commission said Monday. A 22-year-old man was killed early Thursday at an electric substation in McCreary County. According to news reports, the man had taken copper from a Kentucky Utilities Co. substation and was attempting to do the same at a nearby East Kentucky Power Cooperative facility when he was killed.

Today the federal government released proposed rules that will govern how states set up and run new marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance.

The so-called exchanges are a key element of the health care overhaul law. Sliding subsidies for private insurance on the exchanges will be available for residents who earn up to 400 percent of the poverty level, about $43,560 this year.

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

Well, joining us now to talk about what all of this means is NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Hi, Mara.

MARA LIASSON: Hi, Robert.

SIEGEL: What's happening here? Is all this theater or did today's dueling news conferences actually serve some purpose?

With time running out to raise the nation's debt ceiling, President Obama hosted another bargaining session with leaders of Congress Monday. He's trying to persuade both Republicans and Democrats to compromise on a plan to shave trillions of dollars from the federal deficit. "I'm prepared to take on significant heat from my party to get something done. And I expect the other side should be willing to do the same thing, if they mean what they say: that this is important," he said.

Amy Dickinson describes the incident that makes her think of the sound of shovels penetrating hard dirt as part of our series Summer Sounds. Her dad once forced Amy, her sisters and a cousin to dig in the hot summer sun in the fruitless pursuit of saving a crop.

A potential default on U.S. treasury bonds isn't as unprecedented as politicians would have you think. In 1979, the U.S. failed to make timely payments to its bondholders — and the results weren't pretty. Robert Siegel speaks with Ball State University finance professor Terry Zivney, who co-authored a journal article called "The Day the United States Defaulted on Treasury Bills," about the results of that last default.

Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read letters from listeners.

The Kinect has been a big success for Microsoft's Xbox. It's a motion sensor that lets you play video games by moving your body — no controller of any kind necessary. Computer engineers and hobbyists have hacked it to do all sorts of amazing things: They're using the motion sensor to browse the Web without touching anything, navigate Google Earth with slight bodily movements, and even aid with physical rehabilitation. Perhaps soon, these innovations will let you wave a finger and bring up the Internet on your kitchen wall.