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The Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is backing a compromise gun registration amendment proposed by Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey. Robert Siegel talks with committee chairman Alan Gottleib about why his group is splitting from the National Rifle Association and supporting background checks for all commercial transfers of guns.

Republicans promise more oversight of billions of dollars meant to address climate change as they prepare to take control of the House. Climate advocates say the U.S. can still meet ambitious goals.

Federal stimulus money has helped cut the high cost of lithium-ion batteries, but not nearly enough to make electric cars affordable. Now there's an abundance of advanced battery manufacturers and not enough major companies to buy them. Many plants in the United States, South Korean, Japan and China that got government subsidies aren't producing many batteries, if at all. Three years ago Michigan's governor touted the state as the new battery capital of the world. There were five new advanced battery plants in the works, all of which were to get major tax breaks and some federal grants. But most of these plans have not worked out.

Demand for coal is skyrocketing in China, which is driving new mining, coal stockpiling and widespread power cuts.

Scott Simon speaks to journalist Julie Reynolds about hedge fund Alden Global Capital's purchase of several mobile home parks and its eviction of many of their low-income residents.

In her new novel, Samanta Schweblin gives everyone in the world a little critter that's basically a Furby with a webcam — naturally, this does not end well, for the owners, the devices, or anyone.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with writer Edgar Gomez about stumbling upon a shop selling Walter Mercado's capes. The celebrated Puerto Rican astrologer died nearly four years ago.

You'd think spying on the Russians would require some training, but Naveed Jamali had none. "Probably some Magnum P.I. episodes and a few movies here and there," he says. "That was about it."

The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate to almost zero Tuesday. It's the latest attempt to jump-start the economy. And the Fed made clear that it won't stop there. If needed, federal policymakers indicated they will use all tools at their disposal to keep the economy from sliding deeper into recession.

U.S. stocks have fallen again on further concerns that the credit crisis has gone global. At one stage, the Dow dropped almost 800 points before recovering later. The Dow declined 3 percent and the S&P 500 was down more than 3 percent.