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The rising popularity of premium coffee in the U.S. is having a direct positive effect on some of the poorest farmers in the world. Freelance photographer Jonathan Kalan has seen it firsthand, and explains how this business sprung up in Rwanda and how it continues to benefit the family farmers.

Woodland forest fires are burning with such power and size, no one can remember anything like it. The problem with fires of this intensity is that the forests can't recover — they are completely destroyed.

A wave of kidnappings and an alleged bombing plot — both linked to the uprising in neighboring Syria — are shaking Lebanon's precarious sectarian balance. But the foreign patrons of Lebanon's political factions are preoccupied with Syria and appear unwilling to bankroll a proxy war in Lebanon, at least for now.

The folk singer, environmentalist and activist remains active and busy. He splits the firewood that heats his home overlooking the Hudson River, and he's just published a book of his collected writings and released two new albums.

We report from Atlantic City, N.J., on the aftermath of superstorm Sandy and the beginnings of clean up efforts on the barrier island. In the nearby town of Longport, Sandy poured straight through the multi-million dollar oceanfront homes. Casinos in Atlantic City have been closed down since Sunday, with no word yet on when they might reopen. And people who obeyed the order to evacuate the island are still not being allowed back.

Georgia bans undocumented students from attending some of the most prestigious colleges in the state, and the students have to pay out-of-state tuition at other public colleges. Freedom University is a temporary alternative. Students don't get any official credit, but they do get to learn.

Sandy has created havoc up and down the East Coast, but it's now causing blizzards inland as well. Steve Inskeep speaks with NPR's Jon Hamilton to explain that and the science behind the storm; and to NPR's Dan Charles in West Virginia, where snow has blanketed part of the state.

On the final day of the 2012 campaign, President Obama and Mitt Romney are making a last push in states that could be critical to victory. Obama was scheduled to campaign in three swing states, while Romney had events planned in four. The only overlap was in Ohio, considered the linchpin of the election.

Fierce fighting has continued in recent days between the Syrian Army and rebels in the suburbs. The Syrian Opposition has been fragmented, but this month its factions reached a new understanding and appointed a leader. Host Rachel Martin discusses latest developments in the Syria crisis with NPR's Deborah Amos and Kelly McEvers.

The ongoing violence and tumult in Syria's largest city belie a richer, more prosperous past. One small object — a finely woven hat — offers evidence of life in a thriving cultural hub.