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Syria's Alawite minority has largely maintained its solid support for President Bashar Assad, a fellow Alawite. But recent developments, including the defection of an army colonel, suggest there are now cracks in the Alawite community.

The five-term senator, a moderate Republican-turned-Democrat, was a key member of the Judiciary Committee and consistently a thorn for leaders of both political parties and their presidents. Specter died of complications from non-Hodgkins lymphoma at his home in Philadelphia on Sunday. He was 82.

Scientists have discovered that a mouse found in Africa can lose large patches of skin and then grow it back without scarring, perhaps as a way of escaping the clutches of a predator. It's a finding that challenges the conventional view that mammals have an extremely limited ability to replace injured body parts.

Nevada political scientist Eric Herzik, who twice voted for Romney in caucuses, told NPR's Don Gonyea that Mitt Romney isn't doing as well in the state as might have been expected, despite Nevada's nation-leading unemployment rate. He's failed to personally connect with voters and hasn't given enough details about his economic proposals, Herzik says.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the podium before the U.N. General Assembly and laid out his vision for a new world order free of the "hegemony of arrogance." The U.S. delegation boycotted the speech, a day after President Obama addressed world leaders from the same stage.

The Casual Vacancy is worlds away from Hogwarts and Harry Potter. It's a dark comedy of manners, set in a small town in the aftermath of a local politician's death. Rowling says her experiences with poverty informed her gritty portrayal of English life.

One of today's hottest conductors talks about a piece that's integral to his musical life: Stravinsky's earthshaking Rite of Spring, which Dudamel insists has not lost its power to shock in the century since it was written.

Apple has apologized for it new map software which has led to a flood of customer complaints. The company dropped the popular Google maps app for its own version on the iPhone 5. CEO Tim Cook said the company "is extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers." He said Apple's map application will improve and that customers can download alternatives in the meantime.

Charles Monnett's 2006 report on drowning polar bears became a rallying cry for environmentalists. Then he was accused of scientific misconduct. On Friday, he learned he had been cleared.

Incumbent Jim Matheson is the state's only Democratic congressman and faces a tough battle for a seventh term. His rival is Mia Love, who if elected would become the first black Republican female member of Congress.