NPR News

This week tens of billions of dollars in assets belonging to Moammar Gadhafi, his family or perhaps the government of Libya were frozen. The United Nations and countries around the world, including the U.S., leveled the sanctions to punish Gadhafi for his violent crackdown on protesters.

Are you a nurse who wants to visit new places, make a lot of money, and not be tied to the same old job?

Well, then maybe strike-breaking is the career for you. That's not exactly how companies that provide replacement nurses during labor actions put it. But it's not all that far off either.

When it comes to story telling, the writer Frank McCourt once said: "the happy childhood is hardly worth your while."

But what about the happy adulthood? David Brooks' new book, The Social Animal, follows the lives of two extremely contented grownups.

"This is the happiest story you've ever read," it announces. "It's about two people who led wonderfully fulfilling lives."

When first lady Michelle Obama went looking for a new White House social secretary, she did not choose someone with years of experience throwing parties in Washington.

Instead, she tapped Jeremy Bernard, who has spent most of his adult life in Los Angeles. Bernard is currently chief of staff to the U.S. ambassador in Paris. But those are not the most unusual aspects of his appointment.

In a job that has always been held by women, Bernard is breaking the gender barrier.

'A Mix Of Substance And Style'

U.S. Rep. David Wu (D-OR) is back in Washington, D.C., after a week at home fending off reports of odd behavior and allegations of drug use. Seven members of his staff quit in January, and both parties have their eye on his district.

Wu's troubles began when he sent a photo of himself wearing a tiger costume to staffers last Halloween. It was accompanied by text messages that he signed as though they were from his teenage son. All of a sudden, his political future seemed shaky.