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Also: Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to publish a memoir; changes at the National Book Awards; a new short story by Tessa Hadley.

Jesmyn Ward's new memoir Men We Reaped follows the lives and tragically early deaths of several young black men — Ward's brother among them. Reviewer Richard Torres says Ward is "talented enough to turn ... prose into poetry," but that she doesn't sugarcoat her terrible experiences.

The head of a Rhode Island school was named Providence Principal of the Year. Police say an employee, Christopher Michael Sheehan, gave his boss a present to celebrate. He allegedly handed the principal a half-ounce of marijuana. Sheehan was arrested.

At least eight people have died. About 19,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. It's expected to cost about $500 million to rebuild damaged roads. Meanwhile, efforts continue to reach people stranded by washed-out highways.

Tens of thousands of sea creatures have been killed by this month's sticky spill in Honolulu Harbor. Matson Inc. says it will cover all the related costs and will not ship molasses any more unless it is confident such a spill won't happen again.

Fox's Dads is sort of racist and sexist, but if you want to evaluate it purely on the quality of the comedy, that's perfectly okay. It's still really, really bad.

We'll have a new way to sign up for health insurance in about two weeks. A key part of the Affordable Care Act called the marketplace, or exchange, opens…

A CMPD officer charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting a man 10 times had his first court appearance on Tuesday. At the court hearing, the…

UN inspectors have concluded that it was in fact a chemical weapons attack that occurred outside Damascus, Syria on August 23rd. The report does not assign blame for the attack. But according to Peter Bouckaert, Emergencies Director for Human Rights Watch, a careful read of the evidence laid out in the UN report shows the Syrian regime is most likely behind the attack. He talks with Robert Siegel about the UN findings and what they imply.

The northeastern part of Brazil used to be considered the backwards part of the country, far from the riches of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in the south. That's changed in recent years, and today, northeastern Brazil is experiencing an explosion of industry, propelling millions of people out of poverty and into the middle class. Melissa Block talks with businessman Alfredo Bezerra Leite, owner of a bus company and an engineering firm, and his daughter Rebeca Bezerra Leite, to learn about what's behind this growth in the Northeast.

Three New York men were so eager to get the game; they hatched a scheme that could be one of its plots. According to the New York Post, the men pulled up to a mall in an unmarked vehicle, walked past hundreds of people in line and purchased the game. Real police pulled them over after they ran multiple stop signs trying to get away.

The pharmacy chain is expected to announce that it will provide payments to employees so they can shop around for their own insurance. That is in lieu of supplying a company-sponsored benefit plan.

The measure would cut $40 billion from the federal SNAP program over 10 years. Republicans who back the cuts say they attack fraud. In reality, the vast majority of SNAP recipients either work or are children, disabled or elderly. The House is poised to take up the bill Thursday.

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has put off her state visit to the United States over allegations that the National Security Agency spied on her, ordinary Brazilians and the state oil company. This was supposed to be the first state visit by a Brazilian leader in two decades.

Also: Vikram Seth finds a new publisher; Marilynne Robinson on thinking like a writer; Rainbow Rowell on censorship.

Also: Starbucks asks customers not to bring in guns; searches continue for hundreds of missing people from Colorado flooding; tourists are evacuated from storm-stricken Acapulco, Mexico; and tonight's Powerball jackpot is worth an estimated $400 million.

Federal regulators are refusing to deal directly with former Charlotte airport director Jerry Orr and the commission state lawmakers appointed him to…

As Turkey continues to pursue a hawkish approach to the Syrian conflict, analysts say one of Prime Minister Erdogan's biggest peace initiatives at home is foundering. Although militants from the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers Party, have partially withdrawn to northern Iraq, the withdrawal has stalled as the government failed to enact long-awaited reforms. With Syrian Kurds emboldened and newly empowered in northeastern Syria, ending Turkey's decades-long battle with its Kurdish minority is more crucial than ever. But with local elections looming in Turkey, observers say the peacemaking effort may have to wait.

Brazil's favelas, or slums, are notoriously violent places, and in recent years, the Brazilian government has attempted to establish order through police-run "pacification" programs. A cable car ride above several favelas gives a clearer view of what's happened in the communities in recent years.

The actor joins NPR's Robert Siegel to talk about an upcoming revival of the 1978 Harold Pinter play .In the show, directed by Mike Nichols, Craig is acting with his real-life wife, Rachel Weisz — but he says the two don't talk about it outside the office.