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School districts across the nation are experimenting with paying teachers based on performance. An important and troubled district in Washington, D.C., is now moving closer to merit pay. Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the District of Columbia's public schools, talks about her proposal.

"No country has ever closely scrutinized itself visually," the legendary photographer once said. A new book documents hundreds of the Depression-era images she took and the descriptions she wrote of them.

Coming from meager beginnings in middle-class China, the 26-year-old superstar pianist describes his drive to be the best in the world — and the struggles along the way — in his new autobiography, Journey of a Thousand Miles.

The U.S. government says it is safe to eat tomatoes again. It lifted its salmonella warning after its investigation of what caused the outbreak found no evidence of the bacteria. Investigators are now taking their search to a packing facility in Mexico.

For Stella Rimington, the author of Illegal Action, secret intelligence is second nature; for nearly 30 years, she worked for MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence agency, rising through the ranks to become the first woman appointed director general.

The best little bar-band in Texas is back with more ballads of heartache and anthems for getting over it. The Old 97's have just released Blame It On Gravity. Front-man Rhett Miller joins Fresh Air to talk about the recording and to perform some new songs.

The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department took unprecedented steps over the weekend to boost confidence in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Among other things, they increased a government line of credit available to either company. How are the markets reacting?

According to investigative journalist Jane Mayer, the war on terrorism may have done as much political and social damage to the United States as terrorism itself. Mayer writes for The New Yorker, and she recently published The Dark Side.

Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Tuesday that stabilizing the financial markets is a top priority for the Federal Reserve as a weak housing market, tight credit and rising oil prices threaten the U.S. economy.

Bob Mondello, NPR's movie critic, catches the opening of Dark Knight during his vacation in Argentina.