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The Cathedral of Alcala de Henares is one of many buildings owned by the Catholic Church in Alcala de Henares, Spain. The town, which is outside Madrid, is broke and is pursuing a plan to have the church pay additional taxes.

Spain's Strapped Towns Look To Churches For Cash

Alcalá de Henares is re-evaluating the status of hundreds of church holdings that have been exempt from paying property tax for hundreds of years.

Don't Hide Your Harlequins: In Defense Of Romance

Don't hide your bodice rippers under the bed! Writer Bobbi Dumas says being a romance fan is nothing to be ashamed of. It's "lovely, affirming storytelling," and a billion-dollar industry to boot, making up more than 14 percent of consumer book sales in 2011.

Maria Colmenares lives in a concrete-block house on a mountainside overlooking the presidential palace in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Her story says much about the oil-rich and turbulent Latin American nation.

How Hugo Chavez's Policies Affected Ordinary Venezuelans

Ahead of this weekend's election to elect a successor to the late President Hugo Chavez, Morning Edition visits a poor neighborhood that was a center of support for Chavez during his 14 years in power.

'Above All Things' Tells The Story Of A Mountain, A Marriage

George Mallory, famed mountaineer, perished in his attempt to be the first man to summit Mount Everest. Tanis Rideout's debut novel combines the tale of that famous climb with the lesser-known story of George's wife, Ruth.

It's Still Early, But GOP Hopefuls Test The Waters For 2016

From Chris Christie to Jeb Bush, a slew of potential candidates for president have been getting attention. Most of them are speaking this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference, but a few pointedly were not asked.

Brickell CityCentre is a new project that includes retail, offices and two condo towers. In all, some 19 condo towers are going up in downtown Miami, just seven years after the housing market crash.

In Miami, A New Condo Boom Revives Hopes Of Housing Recovery

At the height of the housing boom, condominium towers popped up on the Miami skyline faster than you'd believe. Once the market crashed, those towers sat vacant. Now, led by foreign buyers, condos are selling again as developers try new, more stringent financing rules.

Shabelle Media is the largest news outlet in Somalia, and its journalists are frequently targeted. Four were killed last year.

For Young Somali Journalists, Work Often Turns Deadly

Journalism can be a dangerous profession in any war-torn country. And in Somalia, the youth and inexperience of many reporters can make it even more so. A dozen Somali reporters were gunned down last year, including four at a single organization, Shabelle Media.

Microsoft's next chief will face a host of challenges, including doing more to encourage innovation.

Three Tips For Microsoft's Next CEO

As speculation begins about who will replace Steve Ballmer as CEO, NPR's Steve Henn has some advice for his successor: Take bigger risks — and more of them. Do more to encourage innovation and don't forget the PC just yet.

A History Of 'Snake Oil Salesmen'

Where'd the phrase "Snake Oil Salesman" come from? It conjures up images of seedy profiteers trying to exploit an unsuspecting public by selling them fake cures.

Dee Faught tests a robotic arm installed on his wheelchair in September. Commercially produced robotic arms can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but three Rice engineering students built one for Dee for about $800.

'The Coolest Thing Ever': How A Robotic Arm Changed 4 Lives

For a class project, three engineering students at Rice University devised an inexpensive robotic arm to help a teenager with an uncommon bone disease.

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