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Robert Siegel talks to Don Gonyea, David Schaper and Ron Elving for an update on the recall election in Wisconsin.

Dorothy Parker considered New York City to be her beloved hometown: It's where she grew up, where she wrote many darkly humorous poems and short stories, and where she became famous. But today, Parker's ashes can be found not in New York, but in Baltimore.

In his new book, journalist Jack Hitt says America's amateur spirit goes back to the nation's origins — and it's nothing to be ashamed of. The Europeans viewed the Americans as an "unfinished people," Hitt says. "We were amateur everything." And it's only made the nation better.

The contours of the Republican veepstakes have shifted this week. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's stock seems to be rising, while conflicting reports about whether Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is being vetted have muddied the waters. Here, a look at the potential contenders.

Sergei Magnitsky was a tax lawyer for an investment fund in Russia that was seized by tax police who extracted more than $230 million in illegal refunds for themselves. Magnitsky decided to investigate, was arrested and later died in prison. Now, the government is bringing him to trial "to protect themselves," human rights groups say.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray was elected to office on a platform of anti-corruption. But just two years into his term, a federal investigation has left two former aides pleading guilty to misdeeds during the 2010 election. Gray has denied any wrongdoing. Host Guy Raz talks about D.C. politics with Washington Post reporter Nikita Stewart.

The Syrian government is denying allegations that its military killed more than 100 people, nearly half of them children, in the village of Houla. On Monday, the United Nations' special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, was in Damascus to pressure the Syrian government to abide by a cease-fire that most agree has been a failure. For the latest developments, NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with David Greene.

Less than a year after they separated, Sudan and South Sudan are once again fighting. Both countries depend on oil revenue. A full-scale war could devastate their economies and trigger a humanitarian crisis.

The U.S. and China formed the outlines of a deal Friday in an attempt to resolve the dispute over Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said progress was made to fulfill Guangcheng's request to take his family abroad. David Greene talks to NPR's Michele Kelemen for the latest on the story.

Beijing is cracking down on social media following a dissident's escape, apparently to U.S. protection. Its response is markedly different from its handling of the scandalous downfall of once-powerful politician Bo Xilai, when rumors were allowed to fly.