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On Jan. 1, the Missouri state school board revoked the Kansas City district's accreditation. Now parents have a difficult choice: struggle to afford parochial or private school, move, or keep their children in a system that's been labeled a failure.

Greece desperately needs a new bailout to avoid a chaotic default and stay in the euro zone, but its EU partners aren't certain the Greeks will follow through on their commitments. EU finance ministers put off approving the bailout last week but meet again on Monday. NPR's Eric Westervelt gives us a status report.

Goats bleat, but a new study says they don't all do it with the same accent. Host Scott Simon talks to Professor Alan McElligott from Queen Mary University of London, who co-authored a study showing that goats' voices change as they move from different environments.

It's the beginning of the beginning of baseball season, and two major thumpers have jumped leagues. Plus, basketball makes it to a midpoint, and suddenly you have to ask: Who's really the best team in Los Angeles? Host Scott Simon talks with ESPN's Howard Bryant about the sports of the week.

Michigan holds its presidential primary in just 10 days, and the contest there is turning out to be closer than expected. Mitt Romney grew up in Michigan, where his father, George Romney, ran a car company before becoming governor. Rick Santorum has come on strong, however, and is even ahead in several polls. NPR's Don Gonyea joins host Scott Simon to talk about the state of play in Michigan.

Created during World War II, the Ad Council has launched one iconic public service announcement after another, from Rosie the Riveter to Smokey Bear. The nonprofit organization turns 70 on Saturday; what better way to celebrate than to take a stroll down memory lane?

The housing bubble burst in Ireland some time ago, but empty homes and half-finished developments still litter the country. NPR's Philip Reeves profiles some Irish who've been left high and dry by the financial meltdown.

Things are still pretty tough for the people of Ireland, but there is one man who thinks things there will start looking up before too long. In fact, he's prepared to put money on it. Host Scott Simon speaks with investor Michael Hasenstab, who's betting more than $2 billion that Ireland's economy will rebound.

The seemingly accidental death of a troubled starlet is the catalyst for events in a new thriller that takes the reader from Dublin to New York to the Congo. "It's an exploration ... of the power dynamics that go on" between executive boardrooms and warlords, author Alan Glynn says.

Celebrities joined Whitney Houston's family Saturday at a private funeral service for the pop superstar at her hometown church in Newark, N.J. On the streets outside, hundreds of fans gathered to pay their respects, but police barricades kept them several blocks away from the church.