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Two weeks after the attacks that killed the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, there is still confusion about what exactly happened and whether the United States might have prevented the tragedy. Critics of the Obama administration accuse the White House of dissembling about the attack. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston talks to Melissa Block.

The nonprofit in charge of distributing organs wants to revamp the system for distributing kidneys for the first time in 25 years. But some transplant specialists and bioethicists fear the changes could end up discriminating against some patients.

In November, voters will decide whether new state laws on issues such as labor policy, immigration and gay marriage can remain in effect. They're using a process called "popular referendum." Different from a ballot initiative, it amounts to a public veto of elected officials. And its use is growing.

As North Korea prepares for an unusual parliamentary meeting Tuesday, farmers have told the Western media that new agricultural rules will give them more control over their crops — which would mark a significant change for the state-run economy. It raises hopes that the country is on the verge of a major shift.

It can be lonely being a Democrat in the Deep South. In the reliably Republican region, even recruiting viable Democratic candidates can be a challenge. But strategists are looking to nearby states to learn how the party might start to make inroads in such red territory.

As the violence in Syria continues, the international community has been unable to do much more than condemn it. Host Scott Simon talks with Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the mounting debate over intervention and the new humanitarian access to the country.

Condoleezza Rice has been floated as a possible running mate for the Republican presidential hopeful. The former secretary of state would boost Mitt Romney's foreign policy credentials, but says she's not interested in the job. Still, she wowed Romney donors earlier this summer.

The world's biggest power outages last week have exposed one of India's most serious issues — the growing gap between energy supply and energy demand. Left unheeded, it will deepen gathering doubts about India's dream to become a superpower. A growing economy, ballooning population and burgeoning urbanization are driving energy demands ever upward, while India's investment in power transmission and distribution has not kept up.

The crops taking the worst hit from the current drought are the ones we feed to animals, like corn. Higher corn prices mean it can cost more to feed pigs and cattle than they will fetch at market, meaning higher meat prices for all.

The U.S. has cited corruption as a major issue in Afghanistan for years. Yet as the U.S. military effort has begun to wind down, the Americans have made little progress in combating an endemic problem.