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Longer life expectancies and lower fertility rates have led to rapidly aging populations in countries such as Germany, Italy and Spain. This will make it harder for Europe to get out of debt and, over the long haul, threatens economic growth.

The trial of seven Italian scientists began this week. They are charged with manslaughter for failing to adequately warn the residents of L'Aquila, Italy, about the risk of an earthquake in 2009. Host Scott Simon speaks with Rick Aster, president of the Seismological Society of America, about the trial.

Every week it seems there are more people looking for work, more companies laying people off, and more nations teetering at the edge of unrecoverable debt. But beyond the latest headlines of gloom, there is a fundamental shift going on in our economy and our world. Host Scott Simon talks with Mike Hawley, formerly of MIT's Media Lab, who says that shift may also hold great promise.

It's election day in the Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain. Voters will be filling seats left vacant when the leading Shi'ite opposition party walked out of parliament to protest the crushing of unrest back in March. The opposition is calling for a boycott, and street protests have continued. But the government, with Washington's encouragement, insists it will maintain order and usher in genuine reforms. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Bahrain.

An exhibit of children's art from Palestine was supposed to open Saturday at the Oakland Museum of Children's Art, but the show was canceled. Museum officials say community members raised concerns about whether the art, depicting scenes of Israeli-Palestinian violence, was appropriate for children.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Texas Rangers all won division titles Friday night. But in New England, the Boston Red Sox have been falling like leaves from a mighty oak in the race for the American League wild card spot. Host Scott Simon talks sports with sports commentator Howard Bryant about this story and more.

Economists and the markets were skeptical about the Fed's latest plan to cut already-low interest rates in an effort to boost the economy. But, as one business professor says, "there's no magic elixir" for the situation the U.S. is in.

The former Godfather's Pizza CEO easily beat Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. It's a big victory for Cain, who up until now has not gotten a lot of attention in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, in large part because of his standing in the polls.

Global finance officials pledged on Saturday to take bolder moves to confront a European debt crisis that threatens to plunge the world into another deep recession. But sharp disagreements about exactly what to do can't offer much reassurance to markets rocked by uncertainly in recent weeks.

As a middle-school student in the '80s, Lee Buono stayed after school one day to remove the brain and spinal cord from a frog. He did such a good job that his science teacher told him he might become a neurosurgeon someday. That's exactly what Buono did.