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The possibility that French Socialist Francois Hollande may unseat President Nicolas Sarkozy in Sunday's election is making waves. Hollande's promise to boost growth and job creation would mark a change from the fiscal austerity pact championed by Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel.

For months, the British have been holding a public inquiry into press ethics. The government set this up after a big outcry over the phone hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World. The inquiry is shining a light into the secluded world of the people who run that ancient country, in particular, says NPR's Philip Reeves, the prime minister's social set.

Actor and writer Sacha Baron Cohen is famous for taking his characters — Ali G., Borat, Bruno — into the real world, interacting with people who have no idea that they're dealing with a fictional character. But his new movie, The Dictator, is a scripted comedy about a tyrant on the loose in New York.

One of New York's most loved cabaret spaces will not return after renovations. Singer Andrea Marcovicci was kind of a lifer at the Oak Room. For 25 years she performed there, surrounded by its burnished wood panels and ornate wall sconces.

The U.S. House colleagues from neighboring congressional districts in northern New Jersey once called themselves friends. But redistricting means Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman will face off in the Democratic primary on Tuesday for one congressional seat. The race has been anything but friendly.

Ray Bradbury has died at the age of 91. He wrote such classics as The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. Futuristic tales from a man who never used a computer, or even drove a car.

The drought is beginning to really sink its teeth into the Midwest. More than three-quarters of the nation's corn acres are in a drought zone. In Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, corn crops are burning up and its causing commodity prices to shoot up. Suburban residents are paying to water their lawns, but it isn't doing much good.

While the Syrian government still has the upper hand in the country's largest cities, the rebels hold large swaths of territory in rural areas. NPR's Kelly McEvers recently returned from a week with the rebels inside Syria. Her first stop: a rebel way-station not far from the border with Turkey.

The NCAA is announcing sanctions Monday for Penn State University over the university's handling of a sex abuse scandal involving former assistant football coach.

In a world of citrusy, sugary drinks that can all taste alike, Fernet Branca stands alone. It has a cult following within the U.S. that elicits a strong reaction, whether its your first sip — or a regular ritual. As we found out at a recent tasting, Fernet's centuries old secret recipe delivers.