A school founded by Americans in Iraq before the Saddam Hussein era is an emblem of a time when the United States was known in the Middle East not for military action, but for culture and education. That's the view of Puliter Prize-winning New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid, who recently wrote an essay about the school, titled "The American Age, Iraq."

Years ago, it was an occasional debate among press box sociologists about which sport was more attractive to members of the two political parties.

The consensus was that football was more for Republicans, baseball for Democrats — the general reasoning being that GOP types were more militarily inclined, as is the gridiron game, and that since football had long been more a college sport, and more Republicans had gone to college, football had a greater Republican tradition.

Conrad Balliet reads Cathy Essinger's poem, "Not to Reply"

We first told you about the long-running feud between Miami's mayor and the city's police chief back in June. Today, NPR's Greg Allen reports the tension reached a climax, when the city manager called Police Chief Miguel Exposito into his office and suspended him.

Greg filed this report:

Was that a jobs plan Mitt Romney unveiled Tuesday or a Steve Jobs plan?

Wanting voters to see him as the political version of the black turtleneck-clad business visionary, Romney compared himself not only to Jobs but to someone using a smartphone (President Obama was still in the coin-operated payphone world, Romney said.)

The BBC was given access to the Libyan home of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who was found guilty of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland.

In a controversial move, al-Megrahi was released from prison in 2009 on compassionate grounds. Al-Megrahi was flown to Libya and since then families and relatives of some of the 259 people who died have complained al-Megrahi was not really sick and he was let go because of politics.

Maybe, like me, you're one of the few who missed the recent report on injuries caused by BB and paintball guns that showed how often mishaps lead to emergency room visits. I'm surprised my mom didn't call me personally just to say she told me so.

Authorities say preliminary numbers show 10 people died in fatal traffic crashes in Ohio over the Labor Day weekend, the fewest number in five years.

The state Department of Public Safety says the number is one fewer than in 2010 and 14 fewer than 2007, when fatalities had reached a five-year high. The data measures traffic crashes over the four-day holiday period ending Monday night.

Data also shows that the number of fatalities that were alcohol-related - three of the 10 - is the fewest in five years.

Officials are considering whether Ohioans should be granted limited driving privileges after their license has been suspended for something not related to driving, such as not paying child support.

 The suspension procedures are being studied by a working group including agencies such as the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and insurance company representatives. The Columbus Dispatch has reviewed the group's recommendations and reports they include allowing deadbeat parents to drive to work or to job interviews.

Seems like forever that Consumer Reports has been telling people to haggle over the price of a microwave or a car. Now the folks behind the magazine want you to haggle with your doctor — or at least let her know that you can't afford that bypass.

The cost of health care is expected to almost double in the next decade, and insurers and employers are increasingly shoving that cost onto individuals. As a result, even people with good insurance are finding it harder to pay medical bills.