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Hatoon al Fassi, a professor of women's history at King Saud University, discusses Thursday's municipal elections in Saudia Arabia. Women aren't allowed to be candidates or participate in the vote, and much of the population is cautious about the effect elections will have on one of the world's staunchest absolute monarchies.

Sixty-three years ago today, Americans were shocked by news that a Japanese force had attacked the U.S. military base at Pearl Harbor. As NPR's John Ydstie reports, the family of a U.S. commander blamed for the attack refuses to accept the government's version of events.

Are street shrines meaningful memorials, or a public menace? Shirley Skeel reports on street shrines in Oakland, Calif., that honor victims of gang violence -- and how the decision of local police to remove the shrines has divided that community.

Attorney General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans resign from President Bush's Cabinet. Ashcroft said in a handwritten letter to Bush, "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

Fables, fairy tales and novellas can do more than just entertain and delight. They also ease young people through some of life's challenges. NPR's Michele Norris asks three experts in children's literature to share their recommended reading lists.

I Am Charlotte Simmons, the latest novel from Tom Wolfe, depicts college as a hedonistic playground of non-stop drinking and rampant casual sex. The author traveled to universities across the country to research contemporary campus life. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Wolfe.

In much of the U.S. and Canada this week, the night sky is alight with the spectacular displays of red, green and white lights from the aurora borealis. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Anthony Arrigo on UtahSkies.org.

For much of his life, artist and recluse Henry Darger was almost invisible. But in death, Darger has become well known and honored, inspiring books, a musical and now, Realms of the Unreal, a documentary by Filmmaker Jessica Yu.

As part of our occasional series What's in a Song from the Western Folklife Center, folklorist Archie Green presents a ballad called "Factory Girl" — a tune that's endured over generations.

President Bush's first term brought some of the largest tax cuts in U.S. history. In his second term, he wants to revamp the tax code altogether; some in Congress favor a tax based on what people spend, not on what they earn. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.