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Vice President Kamala Harris will swipe at new standards for teaching Black history in Florida during a trip to Jacksonville.

An Egyptian court has dismissed murder charges against ousted President Hosni Mubarak. NPR's Scott Simon talks with correspondent Leila Fadel about how Egyptians are reacting to the decision.

Tens of thousands of revelers are stranded by heavy rain and mud at the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada. Authorities confirmed one death, which is under investigation.

Brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky were at the heart of Soviet science fiction; reviewer Juan Vidal says The Dead Mountaineer's Inn is less edgy than some of their work, but still a must-read.

Colin Atrophy Hagendorf decided to review a plain slice of pizza from every joint in Manhattan — a project that evolved into a two-fisted memoir of his own life and struggles with substance abuse.

Ben Tripp's young adult debut is a charming romp through a thoroughly theatrical 18th-century England populated by swashbuckling highwaymen, fairies and circus performers.

No, really, don't. Reviewer Michael Schaub says David Duchovny's new novel Holy Cow is a mess of corny humor and half-baked, phoned in plotting. Fans may want to believe — but they shouldn't.

Encyclopedias, dictionaries and directories take on a life of their own in Jack Lynch's new book — a history of reference systems that becomes an examination of the nature of lexicography itself.

Sarah Gerard's lucid, atmospheric essay collection draws on her experiences growing up in Florida for a candid memoir that mixes first-person memories with thoughtful big-picture reporting.

Akashic Books' Noir series visits Baghdad for its latest installment, and the talented writers collected here manage to wrest compelling noir from a place that's plenty dark already.

In his new book, Michael Beschloss focuses on the lead up to war. But a more pressing danger and indictment of presidential power may be the interventions not authorized by Congress.

Mary Mann's new book digs into a phenomenon as old as humanity: boredom. Why do we get bored? Is there a cure? Yawn is a thoughtful read, but its mix of autobiography and scholarship doesn't jell.

In his newly announced plan for America's southern border, President Bush hopes to expand the use of National Guard troops. Analysts say the president hopes the increased security will help him win more support in Congress for a guest worker program.

Rich Cizik, head of governmental affairs for the Colorado-based National Association of Evangelicals, talks with Alex Chadwick about how Christian conservatives are reacting to the scandal that led to the resignation of former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) last week.

Hurricane relief funds helped pay for a vacation to Hawaii, a sex-change operation and season tickets to football games, according to a government audit. Madeleine Brand discusses the fraud and how the government plans to deal with the problem with Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX). McCaul's House subcommittee is holding hearings Wednesday about the misuse of relief funds.

An attorney for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich challenged a panel considering Blagojevich's impeachment. The presence of lawyer Ed Genson is a sign that Blagojevich may not be stepping down anytime soon. The Illinois governor has resisted calls for his resignation following his arrest on federal corruption charges.

President Obama's pledge to set U.S. relations with the Muslim world on a new footing was welcomed at Cairo University, the venue for his much-anticipated address to the Muslim world. Reaction to his remarks on various political issues was mixed, however.

A joint commission of Iraqi and U.S. officials is examining incidents involving the Blackwater security firm, including the deaths of civilians in a melee last week in Baghdad. Prime Minister Maliki is directing harsh rhetoric at the company.

Oil prices are hovering near $120 a barrel and people are wondering what, if anything, can be done to bring prices down. Oil is a commodity — the price of which is set in a global market. Increasingly, oil-producing countries are pointing at the weak dollar as the main factor keeping prices high.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd has unveiled his draft proposal to remake the financial regulatory system. It's a sweeping plan that goes beyond what's being hammered out by the House and the Obama administration.

President Obama called Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday to congratulate him on winning a second term. Obama said he is ready to work with Karzai, but wants to write a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries.

Barbara Demick's book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea opens with a nighttime satellite image of northeast Asia that shows North Korea, which has little electricity, cloaked in darkness. She says the image conveys much about the way North Korea is perceived.

Police in Cambridge, Mass., have released the 911 tapes and radio dispatches that led officers to the home of Henry Louis Gates Jr. The Harvard scholar's arrest on a disorderly conduct charge sparked a national debate about racial profiling.

The Senate debates a revised financial bailout bill that includes sweeteners to attract votes when it moves to the House. The core remains the same: The government gets $700 billion, incrementally, to buy the troubled assets of financial companies.

This is the latest study to find that arthroscopic surgery doesn't reduce pain for people with knee arthritis, and can cause other problems. The procedure remains popular in the U.S.