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Capping a bitterly fought battle over the top item on President Obama's domestic agenda, the House voted 220 to 207 to approve the reconciliation bill, after the Senate made changes and returned the measure earlier in the day.

Democratic Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama launches a campaign Friday to seek the governorship in 2010. If he wins, Davis would be the first African-American to hold the seat in Alabama's history. Davis, a Harvard-educated moderate, has a reputation for appealing to black and white voters but many political experts doubt he could win a statewide race.

If the sagging economy has an epicenter, it may be El Centro, Calif., where unemployment tops 24 percent, the nation's highest. For decades, people have crossed the border from Mexico into this part of California looking for jobs, but these days jobs are hard to come by.

Health insurance is turning into a top-tier issue in this year's presidential campaign. We asked the presidential hopefuls about their own coverage — and that of their staffs. Not everyone was talking.

As Democrats hunt for a single Republican vote needed for a filibuster-proof majority on financial regulation legislation, Tennessee Sen. Robert Corker remains near the top of their list. Corker has shown a willingness to negotiate, and analysts say he's unlikely to face the wrath of voters back home if he supports the bill.

The Da Vinci Code and America by Jon Stewart and his Daily Show cohorts are topping best-seller lists right now. But for holiday gift ideas, NPR's Susan Stamberg asked independent booksellers around the country to suggest some hidden gems from their shelves.

This week, a top U.S. diplomat will talk with his North Korean counterpart about normalizing ties. Last week, the United States agreed to take part in a meeting later this month in Iraq that will include Iran and Syria. Why is the U.S. suddenly willing to talk to countries that it has been keeping at arms length?

Many of the nation's top rock critics are no longer participating in the annual rock music poll done by The Village Voice. Polls on Internet sites also take a toll on the impact of the "Pazz and Jop" survey created by Robert Christgau.

The article "The Black Sites" in this week's issue of The New Yorker provides new details about the CIA's secret interrogation program. New Yorker writer Jane Mayer talks with Michele Norris.

After staying out of sight for six months, Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr finally re-appeared in public Friday in an attempt to rein in his followers and instill order to an organization in turmoil.