Morning Edition

The attacks on Sept. 11 prompted analysts to ponder this question: How bad does a disaster have to be for it to bring down a country's whole economy?

Marcus Noland, deputy director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says it all depends on whether the effects of a disaster spread beyond the local area and make their way through a country's power, transportation or communication networks.

Japan's domestic auto industry has ground to a halt following last week's massive earthquake and tsunami. All the major auto makers there have scaled back production, and rolling blackouts could keep factories shutdowns. Shortages of parts produced in Japan could have an impact throughout the global auto industry.

If you're in the market for a mobile device or a new contract, you'll find yourself bombarded by acronyms like L-T-E and H-S-P-A. They're all part of the move to 4G. Bloomberg News technology columnist Rich Jaroslovsky talks to Renee Montagne about 4G.

The North African country of Algeria has watched as Tunisia , Egypt and now Libya erupt in popular revolutions.

Algeria has the same problems as its neighbors: massive youth unemployment, poverty, corruption and a long entrenched political regime.

But its own recent violent history may push Algeria along a different path.

Buying Peace

A portion of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., has the look of a tropical paradise these days. A major exhibition of works by 19th century post-Impressionist Paul Gauguin includes oil paintings and other objects he created on the South Seas island of Tahiti. But the real Tahiti bore little resemblance to the one Gauguin depicted on his canvases.