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When the dust settled from the dramatic downfall of Bear Stearns, one of Wall Street's most storied investment banks, rival JP Morgan Chase wound up taking control of it. The stunning collapse marks a significant loss for some investors, like Bear Stearns employees, who owned 30 percent of the bank.

Recent demonstrations in Tibet prompted Chinese authorities to crack down on journalists. They have blocked access to the region and sent "minders" to follow reporters who were trying to cover the unrest.

Iranians are voting Friday in a parliamentary election with limited choices. Many pro-reform politicians were barred from running as candidates. Conservatives are split over the policies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahead of the Pope's visit to the U.S., Democratic candidates Clinton and Obama discuss religion at the "Compassion Forum." Princeton University political scientist Melissa Harris-Lacewell analyzes their rhetoric.

In an NPR interview, the Dalai Lama renewed his call for "meaningful" autonomy for Tibet within China and said China, "whether intentionally or unintentionally," is carrying out "cultural genocide" in Tibet.

Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States comes at a time when Roman Catholic seminary enrollment is down 60 percent since 1968. Two seminarians talk with Michele Norris about the shrinking pool of priests and other issues facing the U.S. church.

It wasn't long ago that farm country was full of hard luck stories, but now alternative fuels are creating higher demand for corn, and world food demand has wheat and soybean prices way up. Charles Speiker, a farmer in New Hampton, Iowa, talks about the impact on his business.

Pope Benedict is visiting the United States for the first time as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. R. Scott Appleby, a professor of religious history at the University of Notre Dame, says the pope's message to America's "Cafeteria Catholics" will likely be a positive one, rather than focusing on differences with the Vatican.

It's one of the most common words in English, and one of the most maligned. But it has been doing useful work for centuries, and lately it's acquired a new, hip meaning. Fresh Air linguist Geoff Nunberg gives us his thoughts on the little word, "um."

After a difficult term in office, John Adams, America's first vice president and second president, was chronically under-recognized. But a biography of Adams sparked a reconsideration of the founding father's legacy, which now springs to life in an HBO mini-series.