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Lack of a director can leave a federal agency treading water on policy and personnel issues, and several major agencies have been leaderless for years. The Senate also needs to act before federal judgeships can be filled, and some 10 percent of those jobs are vacant.

One name has been "retired." Others have never been reused. John is the most popular. It's a tradition going back to the year 533 that a new pope chooses a name other than the one he was born with. He's likely sending a message about what type of leader he hopes to be.

The Senate on Wednesday began working through the trillion dollar spending bill to keep government running through the end of September. Amid all the talk about budgets, the legislation is actually the only one that's necessary to avoid a March 27 government shutdown. Meanwhile, President Obama continued his charm offensive with a visit with House Republicans. Melissa Block talks to Tamara Keith.

A new CD and DVD box set, No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert, showcases the searing, profane and moving performances of comedian Richard Pryor. Pryor's widow, Jennifer, says his genius lay in his honesty about his well-publicized troubles.

At a time when most pregnant women work, there are new efforts to keep companies from unfairly targeting employees because of a pregnancy. Allegations of pregnancy discrimination persist and have even risen in recent years despite a decades-old law against it.

Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan was inspired by a real-life gorilla who lived in a mall in Tacoma, Wash. The author says humans have "a real obligation" to care responsibly for animals in captivity.

For the first time in modern history, Shiites are crossing borders to fight against the "evil ones," meaning Sunnis. As Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah has openly admitted, his men are leading battles in Syria, and Iraqi fighters stream in join them, Shiites back at home envision the coming of the hidden imam. They say all the signs in Syria point to the Mahdi's imminent appearance.

South Korean company Samsung is the world leader in smartphone and cell phone sales. Bloomberg journalist Sam Grobart gained access to the company's headquarters, and wrote about his findings in Bloomberg Businessweek. Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Laura Sullivan talks to Growbart about some of the surprising things he found within the company, and how it became a global powerhouse.

Tuesday marks the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act. That law created a nationwide minimum wage which is now $7.25 an hour. Democrats are pushing to raise the wage, but Republicans say higher pay would hurt job creation. Idaho has been losing higher paying manufacturing jobs but gaining low-paying service jobs.

In Egypt, the military has given the president an ultimatum — respond to the millions of protesters demanding his ouster or the army will impose a "road map" to resolve the crisis. The ultimatum suggests a potential coup against the president and his government — though the military denies it.