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Thursday

Doubts Emerge In Case Against Former IMF Chief

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, and his wife, Anne Sinclair, leave a Manhattan court on June 6. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Doubts Emerge In Case Against Former IMF Chief

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who is charged with assaulting a hotel maid in Manhattan, is due in court Friday for what's being described as a proceeding that could ease his bail conditions. Sources say government officials have uncovered inconsistencies by his accuser.

On 'Morning Edition': Carrie Johnson talks with Steve Inskeep

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Minnesota Government Close To Shutdown

Demonstrators gather outside the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., as negotiations between Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton continued in efforts to come to a budget agreement to avoid a government shutdown at midnight. Jim Mone/AP hide caption

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Jim Mone/AP

The Two-Way

Minnesota Government Close To Shutdown

The debate in the state sounds a lot like the one that's happening in Washington: The Democratic governor wants to close the budget gap by taxing the rich, while the Republican legislature wants to cut spending.

There's Nothing Funny About Colbert's SuperPAC

On Thursday, the Federal Election Commission gave comedian Stephen Colbert the OK to form a superPAC. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Politics

There's Nothing Funny About Colbert's SuperPAC

Comedian Stephen Colbert started a political superPAC as a joke. But — his bad — it turned out to raise some basic questions about campaign finance law. On Thursday, the Federal Election Commission gave Colbert most of what he'd asked for.

There's Nothing Funny About Colbert's SuperPAC

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In Afghanistan, Fighting Shifts To Mountainous East

Afghan National Army troops take a break while on a joint patrol and clearing operation with Butcher Troop, part of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, in eastern Afghanistan. David Gilkey/NPR/Redux hide caption

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David Gilkey/NPR/Redux

World

In Afghanistan, Fighting Shifts To Mountainous East

As the fight in southern Afghanistan winds down, the toughest challenge for U.S. and Afghan forces is in the east — an area one captain likens to the American West in the 1800s. There, they are battling a Taliban offshoot called the Haqqani network.

In Afghanistan, Fighting Shifts To Mountainous East

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Toyota Ads Steered To Minority Buyers

Customers walk past a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Toyota brought in 19 percent of African-American buyers, 22 percent of Latino buyers and 33 percent of Asian-American buyers. Yoshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images hide caption

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Yoshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images

Business

Toyota Ads Steered To Minority Buyers

Experts say Toyota markets to minorities better than any other car company. And it shows: The company's tailored ads bring in about 19 percent of black buyers, 22 percent of Latino and Hispanic buyers, and 33 percent of Asian-American buyers.

Toyota Ads Steered To Minority Buyers

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Snow Delay At The Airport? Blame Planes And Clouds

An image believed to be that of a hole-punch cloud. Scientists say airplanes create these patterns when they fly through certain types of clouds. The water in the clouds can turn to rain or snow and fall to the ground. H. Raab/Vesta/Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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H. Raab/Vesta/Wikimedia Commons

Environment

Snow Delay At The Airport? Blame Planes And Clouds

When planes fly through certain types of clouds, they can trigger a chain reaction that causes precipitation for miles around. As rain or snow falls out of the sky, it can sometimes leave behind a visible hole in the cloud layer — a hole-punch cloud.

Snow Delay At The Airport? Blame Planes And Clouds

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Foreign Policy: Future Of Post-Tsunami Japan

A man walks past the debris on June 12, 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. Japanese government has been struggling to deal with the earthquake and tsunami as well as the troubled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The fear of infectious disease outbreak is mounting due to the humid rainy season and delay of the debris clearing. Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images hide caption

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Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images

Opinion

Foreign Policy: Future Of Post-Tsunami Japan

Foreign Policy

In Foreign Policy's most recent e-book, reporters and scholars take a closer look at Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake that triggered a chain reaction of catastrophic events. The special project investigates not only people but the economy, government and energy crisis.

Women's World Cup 2011: A Quick Guide

Soccer fans attend the women's World Cup opener between Germany and Canada. In Germany, the game drew a TV audience of more than 18 million, or a quarter of the country's population — better stats than some men's matches garner. AFP/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Women's World Cup 2011: A Quick Guide

The U.S. team is ranked No. 1 in the world, and they won gold in the recent Olympics. But they're not the clear favorite to win World Cup — that would be Germany, which is both the defending champion and the host country.