Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi terrorized the Libyan city of Misrata during the civil war. Because it never fell, the city became an icon of the revolution.

But Misrata is gaining a reputation for a militia that is carrying out acts of vengeance, looting and restricting movements in and out of the city.

At a checkpoint 20 miles outside of Misrata, dozens of cars are parked in the hot sun waiting for permission to enter the city. But most are being turned away.

The clock is ticking down on Capitol Hill as a congressional super committee has only until Thanksgiving to agree on a plan shrinking deficits by more than a trillion dollars. The entire Congress then has to pass it by Christmas Eve or face huge across-the-board spending cuts.

Twenty-five years ago, another politically-divided Congress approved the biggest tax code overhaul in the nation's history. But much has changed since then.

So far in the Republican presidential contest, the poll numbers have been continually changing, with candidates moving up and then down again. The primary dates are also in flux, with at least four states moving theirs up to January to try to influence the outcome. But there's another set of numbers to watch: the candidates' fundraising totals.

Gustavo Perez Firmat is a Cuban-American who writes novels, memoirs, poetry, and academic works in both Spanish and English. "But I have the feeling that I'm not fluent in either one," he says. "Words fail me in both languages."

Perez Firmat, who is also a professor at Columbia University, says that being bilingual can be both a blessing and a burden.

"I don't have one true language," Perez Firmat tells Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne.

President Obama begins a campaign-style bus tour Monday in North Carolina and Virginia to try to drum up support for his jobs bill and his re-election campaign.

He starts in the Tar Heel State, which he won by a narrow margin in 2008 and where he now faces a struggle to stay competitive for 2012.

Part of an occasional series on mobile apps.

Today's smartphones have applications that can help you track your latest jogging route — and find a place to eat afterward. And if you snap a nice picture along the way, they'll even let you use that to make a postcard.

Talking about the latest roundup of amazing apps, Slate's tech columnist Farhad Manjoo tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that as a new father, he's been trying out new apps as he sits awake with his young son in the middle of the night.

Three years ago, the real estate market was simple — simply terrible, that is. In virtually every part of the country, foreclosures were shooting up and prices were plunging. Today, the real estate picture is more nuanced. Foreclosures are still rising, but prices are stabilizing in some markets, making home-buying look more attractive.

If you had talked to some good economists just before the housing bubble burst, they would have told you it didn't make sense to buy a house.

Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after his car became ensnarled in a fiery 15-car pileup on lap 13, flew over another vehicle and landed in a catch fence just outside turn 2.

The 33-year-old racer was a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, including in 2011.

Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pileup during lap 13.