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John Brown, the man who led the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, Va., may be among the most polarizing figures in American history. To some, he's a traitor and terrorist; to others, he's a hero. Tony Horwitz discusses his book Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War.

Arab League observers arrived in Syria Monday, prompting a tentative calm between anti-government protestors and security forces. But many Syrians are skeptical that the monitors can permanently quell the unrest.

Nuclear power generates 20 percent of electricity in the U.S., but the nation's reactors are aging — and new plants are expensive and take years to build. Gas, coal, wind and solar are potential alternatives, but all have environmental or logistical drawbacks.

Let the buses roll. A week before Iowa caucus-goers start the 2012 Republican presidential nominating contest, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were starting cross-state bus tours on Tuesday.

While Congress has always been a place for the wealthy, there is a growing and more apparent disparity between its members and those they represent.

He created a way for surfers to learn about where the best waves are just about anywhere in the world and in the process became a legend in the surfing community. He was 59 and died Monday of a heart attack suffered while playing tennis.

Until recently, electronic medical records hadn't really caught on. But the 2009 federal stimulus package provided tens of billions to speed up the process. Now in one state, Oregon, two-thirds of doctors have electronic medical records, and researchers are mining the data to help doctors improve the care they give patients.

Home prices have fallen 35 percent from their peak about six years ago and continue to drop. That makes lenders and potential homebuyers nervous, so sales aren't picking up much despite the lowest interest rates in decades. And the unsolved foreclosure mess continues to push prices down even more.

The funeral of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is expected to begin Tuesday night, East Coast time. NPR's Anthony Kuhn is watching events from South Korea, and speaks to host Robert Siegel from the capital, Seoul.

It's been another warm, rainy day in much of the Northeast, with temperatures in some areas topping 40 degrees. If you hate shoveling snow, or paying big heating bills, that's good news. But for people who love winter sports — and for thousands of businesses that rely on snow for winter tourism — this month's October-like weather has been painful.