Amid warnings the proposal would shatter support for the measure, Democrats backed away from a provision that would allow gay U.S. citizens to sponsor foreign-born spouses for green cards. Advocates for gay and lesbian immigration rights accused Democrats of caving in to threats.

A new documentary about writer George Plimpton uses its subject's own voice to tell the story of his career as a path-breaking "participatory journalist" and longtime editor of the Paris Review. The film also uses the voices of Plimpton's friends and colleagues to defend him against the charge of dilettantism that dogged him throughout his career. NPR's Joel Rose reports.

Despite much international criticism, Israel has continued building its West Bank barrier. It's now nearing completion, while the Israelis and Palestinians continue to argue over whether it will help or hurt prospects for a Middle East peace agreement.

Ironically, there's one piece of Web history that can't be found online: the very first page. Now, a team at the lab where the World Wide Web was born is on a hunt for old hard drives and floppy disks that might hold copies of the missing files.

Melissa Block talks to NPR Two-Way blogger Scott Neuman about why basements in Oklahoma are so uncommon.

The massive tornado claimed the lives of more than 160 people in Joplin, Miss. Melissa Block speaks with Mike Woolston, who was mayor of Joplin at the time, about how the city has recovered, and what guidance he has for Moore, Okla., on moving forward from a devastating natural disaster.

Over the past several years, the Federal Reserve has added trillions of dollars to its balance sheet, purchasing bonds in order to stimulate the economy. Many investors have been concerned that when the Fed starts selling off those bonds it could create turmoil in the markets. But in congressional testimony Wednesday, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke said the Fed might not sell off those bonds at all.

Lois Lerner was the first IRS official to explain how conservative groups' applications for tax-exempt status were flagged for extra scrutiny. On Wednesday, she cited her constitutional right not to incriminate herself and declined to answer questions from a House committee.

Oklahomans who were hit by a massive tornado on Monday are trying to recover and rebuild.

Anthony Weiner, the New York congressman whose career ended after a series of raunchy tweets, announced he is entering the mayoral race with an ad on YouTube.