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The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints won't name a new president and prophet of their Mormon faith until after the funeral of Gordon B. Hinckley, who died Sunday night. The likely successor, 80-year-old Thomas Monson, would inherit a church that is bigger and more scrutinized than ever.

A day after the U.S. Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate, world markets were calmer. A steep two-day slide was triggered by fears of a U.S. recession, but it's unclear that a nationwide downturn is a certainty.

The market took a dive Tuesday morning of more than 400 points before recovering most of it back. Stephanie AuWerter, editor of SmartMoney.com, explains the Wall Street's ups and downs, and what you can do to hang onto your money.

It's January, the stock market is shaky, and the Hollywood writer's strike is still dragging on, but Fresh Air's book critic says there's at least one piece of good news this month: Sue Miller has a new novel out.

Congressional leaders and the White House have reached a tentative deal on an economic stimulus package. NPR's Brian Naylor examines how the plan might help the slumping economy.

Democrats vying for the presidential nomination engaged in their most heated debate yet on Monday, charging one another with numerous accusations and making bold claims about their own viability for the presidency. Brooks Jackson, director of Annenberg Political Fact Check, assesses the candidates' arguments with Michele Norris.

When parents bring their children in for shots, one can often sense a touch of relief that, as adults, their time with the needle is over. Wrong. Immunizing adults is the most natural, cost-effective way of preventing illness.

As the Federal Reserve wraps up a two-day meeting Wednesday, expectations are high that a fresh rate cut is coming. But analysts are divided over how dramatic a reduction is on the way in the wake of last week's big move.

What business did a young black woman in the Northeast have indulging a fascination with the slave-owning heroine of Gone With the Wind? NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates explains the complicated business of Scarlett fever.

A close listen by NPR reporters yields observations about how closely President Bush's rhetoric in the State of the Union address matched the facts.

In a recent op-ed, Kay Hymowitz argues that it's time for 20- and 30-year-old guys to put down the Xbox controller and grow up. Mid-20something males linger happily, Hymowitz writes, "in a new hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible self-reliance."

The nominees for the 80th annual Academy Awards were announced Tuesday in Beverly Hills. There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men — two violent films set in the American West — each received eight nominations.

Former Indonesian dictator Suharto was buried Monday at a state funeral with full military honors. The former army general presided over a brutal regime. As many as 1 million political opponents died in purges.

Most of the major contenders for president began their last day of pre-caucus campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday, flying fast planes to the far corners of the state. And in the evening, they were in Des Moines for big rallies — telling everyone to turn out Thursday night.

Iowans absorb a final rush of presidential campaign stump speeches by Democratic contenders just hours ahead of making their decisions in the 2008 presidential race. The races in both parties could not be closer. And many Iowans, even in these final hours, are still weighing their options.

While you might be hard-pressed to name a delicacy specific to New Year's — other than champagne — traditions abound around the world. Nigella Lawson shares food customs from Italy and other European countries.

A year after releasing an award-winning album that touched on deeply personal subject matter, Kwenders looks back on his origins in Central Africa, and his path as a musician.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf calls on Britain's Scotland Yard to aid an investigation into the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Bhutto was killed Dec. 27, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, after a political rally. Musharraf's request defers to demands by opposition officials.

About 14 million Kenyans were eligible to vote in Thursday's presidential election. The main contenders are Kenya's current president, Mwai Kibaki, and his one-time ally, Raila Odinga. The race has been too close to call, and some feared it would result in vote-buying and tribal violence.

Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, who grew up in Montreal and called Canada home for his whole life, has died at the age of 82. He led the Oscar Peterson Trio for much of the 1950s and collaborated with jazz luminaries Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Milt Jackson and others.

Jacob Zuma, the new head of South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, wore a broad smile recently as he accepted congratulations from his main rival for the job, South African President Thabo Mbeki. But it's unclear whether the civility will continue.

The body of murdered Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto arrives in her ancestral village for burial. After an earlier attempt on her life, she said that if anything should happen to her, she would hold President Pervez Musharraf responsible because of inadequate security.

Kenya's disputed presidential election triggers an explosion of violence that has killed more than 275 people, including dozens burned alive as they sought refuge in a church. President Mwai Kibaki, newly inaugurated for a second term, calls for a meeting with his political opponents.

Alex Cohen checks in with Iowans at a barbershop, a coffee shop and the Huckabee headquarters. Politics, she discovers, does not go well with cutting hair.

The spotlight is on Iowa. Residents across the state caucus later Thursday to decide who to back for president. They'll be meeting at fire stations, American Legion halls and living rooms across Iowa. Iowans meet in person. Democrats vote openly. Republicans vote by ballot.