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Nearly 20 percent of Americans still smoke, in spite of what we know about the dangers. Part of the reason is the allure of a cigarette, so elemental to classic scenes in movies, television shows and books. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Richard Klein, author of Cigarettes are Sublime, about smoking and American culture.

In the 50 years since the Surgeon General's landmark report on smoking, what's worked to convince people not to smoke, and what hasn't? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Kenneth Warner, professor of public health at the University of Michigan, about cigarette consumption before and after the report.

On the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" speech, the clash between Republicans and Democrats on how to alleviate poverty has come front and center. Republicans insist that anti-poverty programs have failed; Democrats say they have worked and should be expanded.

The independent arbitrator upheld most of a 211-game suspension handed down by Major League Baseball. Alex Rodriguez said he would appeal the decision in a federal court.

Patients feel more satisfied with their care when their doctors take a minute to sit down beside them. But harried doctors often fail to remember niceties like that. All the memorization of medical school seems to crowd out common courtesy, especially for interns just starting to see patients.

The Wall Street Journal reports the breach affected fewer than one million cards. The retailer has not released estimates on how many cards were compromised.

Reporting from inside Iran has been very difficult for Western reporters over the last several years. The disputed 2009 elections triggered massive anti-government protests. In response, Iran cracked down hard on protesters, and clamped down tightly on journalists' access. That has begun to change with Iran's newly elected president, Hassan Rouhani. Scott Peterson, reporter for the Christian Science Monitor, was recently able to visit and report from Iran for the first time in more than four years. Peterson speaks with host Arun Rath about his trip.

Fans of the band Insane Clown Posse, known as Juggalos, were classified as a gang by the FBI in 2011. Now the band and four fans have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice and the FBI.

Tunisian lawmakers are poised to give final approval to a new constitution later this week. Political wrangling over the document has long delayed the ratification process, but if the constitution gains final approval on Tuesday, as planned, it will set the stage for a new round of parliamentary elections.

New mayors in cities such as New York, Boston and Minneapolis have made income inequality and racial inclusion top priorities. That's a different tack than some other recent progressive mayors, who focused more on keeping cities safe and budgets balanced.