NPR News

Ryan Crocker was formerly a U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, as well as Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. He worries diplomats will be pressured to avoid risks, and retreat from doing their jobs. He spoke with Steve Inskeep before a large audience of diplomats and others at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

China's new leadership team has been announced. Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China early Thursday morning. He succeeds Hu Jintao.

Famous for processed treats like Twinkies, Hostess Brands says it will go into liquidation if striking bakers don't return to work Thursday. Analysts say the company's most iconic brands would likely be bought by other companies.

Republicans claim President Obama's plan to raise taxes on the wealthy will cost the economy 700,000 jobs. Another study from the Congressional Budget Office puts the number of lost jobs as 200,000. But both studies also assume millions of new jobs will be created.

House Republicans investigating the collapse of MF Global placed responsibility for the firm's demise on former Democratic senator and New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine. He was MF Global's CEO. The firm still owes its customers an estimated $1.6 billion.