Jimmie Johnson has won the Daytona 500, one day after crash during a race there injured fans. Danica Patrick, who was hoping to make history by winning, finished eighth. However, she managed to become the first woman in history to lead laps at the NASCAR race.

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Pope Benedict XVI leaves the church in the midst of change: American Catholics' social views tend to diverge from the Vatican's, and the church now sees much of its support in South America and Africa. One former member of the College of Cardinals says the next pope will have to be aware of the church's needs in South America.

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Thousands of women were taken into Magdalene Laundries, run by the Catholic Church, and forced to work without pay. The practice went on for decades after Ireland's independence, with the last one closing in 1996. For the first time, the state has acknowledged and apologized for its role in facilitating the practice.

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The U.S.-based auction house that was due to sell the work on Saturday, announced that the item was withdrawn from sale. The artwork was expected to fetch between $500,000 and $700,000.

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The nation's governors said the automatic spending cuts would hurt state governments, as congressional Republicans and Democrats continue to blame each other for the impasse. Without a last-minute deal, the across-the-board spending cuts go into effect March 1.

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The province in question is Wardak, the focus of recent counterinsurgency operations. The Afghan president's move comes amid allegations of torture and disappearances centering on Afghans who are part of the U.S. forces.

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Paul C.P. McIlhenny was the sixth member of his family to be named president of the McIlhenny Co., which makes the iconic hot sauce. He was 68 years old.

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Some 100,000 people packed St. Peter's Square to hear the pope's last blessing. They interrupted him several times with applause and cheers. Benedict has one more scheduled public event: a general audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday.

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Like many countries, Israel tried to drain many of its swamplands, then realized it was destroying wildlife habitats. So the country reversed course, and has been restoring the wetlands of the Hula Valley in the north. The result: a huge and rather noisy payoff.

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In a time of economic hardship and social upheaval, some anxious Greeks fear their national identity is under threat. It's difficult for immigrants to get citizenship, and a recent court ruling could make it even tougher.

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One dominant theme of the trip will be how to resolve the crisis in Syria, where an estimated 70,000 people have been killed over the past two years. Kerry is portraying his first trip as secretary of state as a listening tour, and he certainly expects to hear a lot about Syria.

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By examining ancient dental plaque, researchers have concluded that prehistoric humans' diets made for healthier mouths. The addition of flour and sugar to modern diets may have set the stage for a near-constant state of oral disease.

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China has transformed itself in recent years. But for an NPR reporter now on his second tour of the country, some things, like re-education through labor camps, remain the same.

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More than two dozen fans were injured after a multi-car crash at the end of Saturday's race. A car slammed into — and partially went through — the fence and into the stands.

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A car flew into the fence in the second-tier Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway, sending large chunks of the car into the grandstands.

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Estonia now has the world's first nationwide electric car charger network. What would the U.S. have to do to make a similar leap?

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To those who closely follow the voter ID wars, Hans von Spakovsky is a household name, one of the nation's leading and controversial crusaders against voter fraud. So it was news that the Republican lawyer failed to get a second term on the electoral board of Virginia's largest county.

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As the Directors and Producers Guild Awards go, so does the Academy. At least most of the time.

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One of the most important events in the national gun violence debate takes place Tuesday far from Newtown, Conn., and Washington, D.C. And if the candidate backed by Michael Bloomberg wins, look for congressional candidates nationwide to start eyeing the New York City mayor and his superPAC

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It argues that a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Specifically, the administration points to a section that denies married same-sex couples access to federal benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

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