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Retired Gen. Anthony Zinni says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his top aides should be held responsible for failing to plan for Iraq's reconstruction after the U.S.-led war. Hear NPR's Steve Inkseep's extended interview with the former U.S. Central Command chief.

Actor Jack Palance, known for his haltingly intense speaking style and dozens of roles in Western and noir films, has died. After years of playing the heavy in Hollywood, Palance became a hit in comedy films late in life. At 70, he won an Oscar for his over-the-top role in the Billy Crystal film City Slickers.

One of the world's top female wrestlers is featured in this week's installment of the Weekend Edition Sunday summer reading series. Toccara Montgomery will compete in Athens in the 72-kilogram weight division. She talked about books with NPR's Liane Hansen before leaving for the Summer Games.

The Senate Banking Committee grills top regulators and several of the nation's largest lenders about problems with sub-prime mortgages — and what regulators did and did not do to address them. About 14 percent of outstanding subprime loans are now delinquent by 30 days or more.

Kim Jong Un may have a love in his life. Now he appears to have pushed out one of North Korea's top generals and seems to be loosening up restrictions on "Western" wear and culture.

He's been at this for nigh on 30 years and remains at the top of his game. Hear Lovett and his Acoustic Group perform at the Prospect Park Bandshell as part of Celebrate Brooklyn.

Make a list of bands with integrity, still highly respected and still making music after 25 years, and that list will have Cowboy Junkies near the top. The band remains prolific, tender and poignant, as evidenced by this performance at the NPR Music offices.

The latest report from climate scientists provides a stark warning about how fast the planet is changing. Here are the top takeaways.

More than 2,500 champion show dogs have descended upon Madison Square Garden for the 129th Westminster Kennel Club's dog show. One of the top African-American handlers in the sport is there, hoping to make history. Allison Keyes reports.

Jazz vocalist Roberta Gambarini sails like an angel on top of a song, while Freddy Cole's baritone voice rides low, full of experience but still sentimental. Hear them both in a concert recorded live for JazzSet.

Always provocative, the band jettisons post-punk thrash in favor of a sturdier Top 40 pop sound that recalls the early to mid-'80s.

"If the Shoe Don't Fit" could have topped the charts like "I Want You Back" and "The Love You Save."

Commentator Rob Kapilow explains how Copland's pure, American sound springs from two simple chords that open the ballet Appalachian Spring. Stacked upon each other, the chords reveal a sound like all of America, like the purest values, and like Shaker simplicity.

Rishi Sunak will be the first British Asian to become prime minister and the first Hindu to take the top job. At 42, he'll also be the youngest prime minister in more than 200 years.

García Luna headed Mexico's federal police and became the country's top public safety official between 2006 and 2012. He was convicted of taking large bribes from drug cartels.

A new poll says Americans think New York is the most corrupt state in the country. But is it? There are lots of ways to calculate it.

Hayes Carll made a stir in Americana music with his self-released 2004 album, Little Rock. Music critic Robert Christgau says that Carll has matured some since then, and that maturity sounds good on him. Carll is good for a laugh, but Christgau says his sensitive side puts his new album, Trouble In Mind, over the top.

Equestrian Kat Naud was on track to qualify for the Olympics when her 1500-pound horse fell on top of her. But the accident was only the beginning of a journey to manage pain that will never go away.

Two English professors and longtime friends got the idea for "Shakespeare, Not Stirred" while having a drink together.

Fashion styles are churned out more frequently than ever, giving us more opportunities to buy. But this "fast fashion" trend increases trash — and some groups are trying to slow down the cycle.