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Political scientists have long noted the propensity for self-dealing among politicians in out-of-sight, out-of-mind state capitals like Albany, NY and Springfield, Ill. After comparing federal corruption convictions of state officials and the relative isolation of state capitals, two researchers found a strong correlation.

The U.S. also praised countries like Tunisia and Libya, which came out of authoritarian rule.

The CIA has faced intense criticism for reporting, incorrectly, that Saddam Hussein's Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. NPR correspondent Tom Gjelten got direct access to CIA analysts to discuss the lessons learned from Iraq, and how they're applying them to a new intelligence target: Iran.

With the national convention just three months away, state Democrats are reeling from a series of setbacks, including passage of a gay marriage ban and a sex scandal within the organization. But party leaders say they're committed to making the convention a success and keeping the state "blue" in November.

This spring, the city's Department of Education issued its first guidelines about how teachers should navigate social media. The rules make it explicit: Teachers cannot friend or follow their students on Facebook or Twitter, but they can have professional accounts and pages for students to follow.

Charges could be filed in the case of Etan Patz, a 6-year-old boy who disappeared from his New York neighborhood in 1979. Pedro Hernandez, who was a bodega clerk when Patz disappeared, has been arrested. Audie Cornish talks to Bob Hennelly of member station WNYC.

A new poll finds 34 percent of patients hospitalized for at least one night in the past year said "nurses weren't available when needed or didn't respond quickly to requests for help." We asked nurses why that might be. Stories poured in about being overworked, comparing the job to "spinning plates."

Many small-business owners have had a tough time securing credit since the start of the economic downturn. "I couldn't understand why they wouldn't be willing to give us a loan," one owner says. A new website aims to help such owners, grading banks based on the percentage of deposits that are used for small-business loans.

Topping Our Local News:· No tax cut this year from the Oklahoma legislature. Governor Fallin says she will try again next year.· It takes two tries but…

What if the rapture actually occurred? That's the plot of Tom Perrotta's novel The Leftovers, which examines the aftermath of an unexplained rapturelike event in which millions of people around the globe inexplicably disappear into thin air.