Bangladesh's Powerful Garment Sector Fends Off Regulation

Eight people died Wednesday in a fire at a Bangladeshi sweater factory. This follows the much deadlier collapse of the Rana Plaza building, where more than 900 people died.

The deaths are taking place in a garment sector that has seen explosive growth over the past three decades. The country has managed to lure clothing-makers through a combination of low wages and light regulation.

As a manufacturing center, Bangladesh has little to recommend it. The roads are poor. There's no port to speak of. The electricity is notoriously unreliable. It's politically unstable.

In Newsrooms, Some Immigration Terms Are Going Out Of Style

Journalists make choices all the time that influence our understanding of the news — the choice of what stories to cover, which people to interview, which words to use. And major news organizations have been reconsidering how best to describe a group of people whose very presence in this country breaks immigration law.

In France, A Renewed Push To Return Art Looted By Nazis

During World War II, the Nazis plundered tens of thousands of works of art from the private collections of European Jews, many living in France. About 75 percent of the artwork that came back to France from Germany at the end of the war has been returned to their rightful owners.

But there are still approximately 2,000 art objects that remain unclaimed. The French government has now begun one of its most extensive efforts ever to find the heirs and return the art.

Teenage Diaries Revisited: From Kicking A Football To Kicking Meth

Name: Frankie Lewchuk

Hometown: Mentone, Ala.

Current city: Chattanooga, Tenn.

Occupation: Car stereo installer

Then:

"I used to be a wimp in school. ... Since I started playing football in 9th and 10th grade, all I did was get a haircut, start wearing decent clothes and play sports. Now I'm a popular person... and I want to keep it going that way."

Why Bill Gates Thinks Ending Polio Is Worth It

Some critics say that ending polio has become Bill Gates' "white whale."

Why not just settle for the huge drop in polio cases that we've seen over the past decade and then spend money on other things that kill so many more kids, like diarrhea and malnutrition?

"Polio is special," Gates tells NPR's Robert Siegel on All Things Considered. "Once you get it done, you save $2 billion a year that will be applied to those other activities. There's no better deal economically to getting to zero."

And Gates is putting his money — and his effort — where his passion is.

On Two New R&B Albums, An Old Soul Sound That Glows

It's tempting to describe the voices of Charles Bradley and

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    • Alex Ferguson: A Legendary Manager For An Iconic Franchise

    The resignation of veteran Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is an event causing ripples that go way beyond the island where the Scotsman spent his long and illustrious career.

    Walk into a bar pretty much anywhere from Buenos Aires to Bangkok, mention Ferguson or his star-studded team of Red Devils, and you can be sure of a lively conversation — and perhaps a heated argument.

    31 Suspects In 3 Nations Nabbed In $50 Million Diamond Heist

    Remember that brazen, right-out-of-the-movies diamond heist at Brussels' international airport on Feb. 18?

    Now there's word from The Associated Press that "police on Wednesday claimed a major breakthrough in their investigation ... detaining 31 people in a three-nation sweep."

    With Texas Trip, Obama Tries To Steer Focus Back To Economy

    President Obama turns his attention back to his economic agenda Thursday when he travels to Austin, Texas, where he will visit a technology high school and a company that makes the machines that make silicon chips.

    The White House says the trip is part of Obama's Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour. It also appears to be an effort by the president to get back to the issues Americans care most about.

    Push To End Teens' Distracted Driving Targets Parents, Peers

    The statistics are grim: Highway crashes are the leading cause of death for young Americans. While such fatalities had declined in recent years, overall highway deaths were up last year. Deaths of 16- and 17-year-olds increased nearly 20 percent from the previous year, based on preliminary data.

    The government has preached a message of "don't text and drive" and has encouraged students to produce their own public service announcements: