The state of Kansas just did away with its arts agency, the first state in the country to do so. The arts community is up in arms about this, but there are some good arguments for government getting out of arts funding. Other states are heading in the same direction as Kansas.
Over the weekend, Syrian troops regained control of a town near the border with Turkey. There was heavy fighting reported, and a mass grave was discovered.
Steve Inskeep talks to terrorism and insurgency expert Bruce Hoffman about the death of Fazel Abdullah Mohammed, al-Qaida's leader in East Africa. They'll discuss the wider implications of his death and the other set-backs to al-Qaida in recent months.
Initial public offerings have been in the news a lot recently. Some of the offerings have been by hot Internet social media companies. Steve Inskeep talks to financial writer Andy Kessler about the IPOs.
Nokia is currently the world's largest maker of Internet-enabled smartphones. But analysts predict Korean electronics giant Samsung could soon overtake Nokia.
Italians began voting over the weekend in referendums that could further hurt Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He is still smarting from last month's big losses in local elections.
The Republican presidential contenders gather in New Hampshire Monday evening for a debate. Their immediate goal will be to step out of the crowd as the most credible alternative to Mitt Romney — the front runner in the state at this early stage. New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers reports.
U.S. officials are trying to improve relations with Pakistan. Both Washington and Islamabad have agreed to form a joint intelligence team to track down militant targets inside Pakistan. Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Julie McCarthy about the attempt at renewed cooperation.
