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Pennsylvania's Sen. Rick Santorum has long been considered to be the Senate's most endangered Republican. But polls show him closing the gap with Democratic candidate Bob Casey Jr. Political onlookers are wondering whether the turnabout is a case of Santorum gaining -- or Casey faltering.

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity is about to reach Victoria Crater. Scientists are excited about exploring the crater, where satellite pictures indicate more than 100 feet of exposed bedrock. By studying the layers of bedrock, researchers hope to learn how it was shaped -- and maybe answer the question of whether liquid water once covered the Martian surface.

Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki misses Sunday's deadline and fails to select the last three ministers for his national unity government. A parliamentary session to ratify the names was postponed. As the politicians squabble, 36 more Iraqis die in violence around the nation -- most of them were shot.

East Timor is crumbling under a wave of violence. The former European colony is the latest country at risk of collapse. Guests discuss the legacy of failed states.

Canadians have reacted with shock and skepticism after 12 men and five teens were arrested over the weekend, accused of hatching a terrorist bomb plot involving three tons of ammonium nitrate. Details on the charges from the sting operation are still forthcoming.

Kimberly Oliver, an elementary school teacher in Silver Spring, Md., was recently named National Teacher of the Year. Over the last six years, she has helped turn around the underperforming school.

The U.S. Supreme Court reenters the battle over affirmative action, announcing that it will decide whether public schools may use race as a factor in making students assignments in order to promote racial diversity. The court will hear cases based in Seattle and Kentucky.

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Wednesday on boosting FCC fines for indecency. Lawmakers are expected to increase the fines from $32,500 to a whopping $325,000 per incident. Tess Vigeland of Marketplace says the new fine is likely to have a big influence on what broadcasters put on air.

Commentator Deborah Mathis looks at what role skin shade, and not just race, plays in prison sentencing. A new study shows darker-skinned African-Americans receive harsher sentences than their lighter-skinned counterparts. Deborah Mathis is a syndicated columnist and a professor at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

"Authenticity" is a loaded term when it comes to racial identity. But author and regular News & Notes commentator Joseph C. Phillips isn't afraid to tackle the topic head-on. He talks with Ed Gordon about his new book, He Talk Like a White Boy: Reflections on Faith, Family, Politics and Authenticity.