By early 2008, Chen Hong had more than doubled his salary at this factory, which makes furniture for export to the U.S. Surrounding Guangdong province was suffering from a labor shortage so migrants like Chen could pick and choose where they worked. Frank Langfitt/NPR hide caption

Fierce Creatures: A Na'vi warrior races into battle on a thanator — one of dozens of plants and animals created, and painstakingly cataloged, by the creators of the new sci-fi epic Avatar. WETA hide caption

A U.S. Army Chinook helicopter carrying sling-loaded cargo flies to a forward base in Afghanistan. Chris Hondros/Getty Images hide caption

A bandaged Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as he leaves Milan's San Raffaele Hospital. Berlusconi was discharged Thursday after suffering severe facial wounds in a violent weekend attack. Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Mike Reed's People, Places & Things pays homage to forgotten or overlooked Chicago music from six decades ago. courtesy of the artist hide caption

When Walls Come Down: Daniel Day Lewis plays Guido Contini, a famous film director struggling with writer's block — and looking for inspiration in the assortment of women who have shaped his life. David James/Weinstein Co. hide caption