NPR Staff

On Jan. 1, the Missouri state school board revoked the Kansas City district's accreditation. Now parents have a difficult choice: struggle to afford parochial or private school, move, or keep their children in a system that's been labeled a failure.

The U.S. has had 47 vice presidents, and of those only 14 ever became commander in chief. With Presidents Day just around the corner, we salute those who never rose higher than second in command, proving it's possible to be a heartbeat away from the presidency and yet as functional as an appendix.

Blinded by blond hair and a flash of ankle, Henry Flores walked into a wall outside Gwendolyn Diaz's new office. Twice. Still, he managed to get her attention, and the two professors have been together ever since.

All the Republican presidential candidates still in the race have been hit with glitter by protesters. The first glitter bomber says it's a "harmless but sensational way to bring attention to serious issues," but others have called it assault.

Mohammed Fairouz, a 26-year-old American composer, has just debuted his third symphony, Poems and Prayers — featuring text in Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic.

NPR reporters break down the president's budget proposal, exploring where he wants to spend and where he wants to make cuts.

Winnette McIntosh Ambrose and her brother Timothy recently won an episode of the Food Network's Cupcake Wars. They left chemical engineering to concoct treats at The Sweet Lobby boutique bakery in Washington, D.C.

The Tea Party rallies that raged in cities across the country in 2009 have died down. As the Republican presidential race wraps up, and the GOP get closer to selecting a nominee, many Tea Party activists acknowledge that the days of the big rallies might be on hold. But some say that their ideas are now very much front and center.

Egypt has faced deteriorating security and a surge in crime since the popular uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak a year ago. The country's military rulers have yet to transfer power to civilian rule, and though many are proud of the revolution, some argue Egypt is not much better off than it was under Mubarak.

Jay Hunter Morris has become a surprise hit as Siegfried, the Norse hero in Wagner's Ring Cycle — widely considered one of the most challenging roles in opera.