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Blues, jazz and gospel; a civil rights movement that began with the Emmett Till case; modern glass and steel buildings that dared the sky. In Third Coast, Thomas Dyja writes that "the most profound aspects of American Modernity grew up out of the flat, prairie land next to Lake Michigan."

In Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, children took to downtown streets in a reenactment of historic events there 50 years ago. It's part of a series of events this year marking Birmingham's crucial role in the civil rights movement.

Influential Chicagoan Penny Pritkzer has been tapped by President Obama to lead the Commerce Department.

Mexico is considering changes to its collaboration with the United States in the war on drugs. Steve Inskeep talks to Dana Priest of The Washington Post about her investigative piece examining Mexico's anti-drug war efforts.

On Sunday, a new government was sworn in in Italy. The event was marred by a man who shot and wounded two police officers and a passerby as the swearing in ceremony was taking place.

Leonard A. Lauder's collection — among the best in the world, experts say — consists of 78 cubist works, including 33 works by Picasso.

Literary magazine Granta's "Best of Young British Novelists" issue reflects the changing face of U.K. literature.

The housing recovery is well on its way, economists say, and Americans are becoming more comfortable spending on things like remodeling, moving, gardening and furniture. One economist expects increased housing wealth to boost consumer spending by $100 billion this year.

Elizabeth Strout is best known for her short story collection Olive Kitteridge, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2009. Her new book is a novel, and critic Maureen Corrigan says it's a different type of winner.

The United States and Russia have been at odds over human rights, Syria and even the adoption of Russian orphans by American families. But former U.S. envoys who met with officials in Moscow this week say they found "a willingness to explore ideas" and urged cooperation on economic and security issues.