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Catholics in the U.S. reflect on Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88.

When in Rome, resist the urge to carve your initials into the Colosseum. Two women from California did just that — and captured the moment with a selfie. And now they face criminal charges.

Just about every museum in the world has the same rule: no touching. A rule one man failed to observe on a family vacation to Florence, Italy. He was comparing his own finger to the fingers on a 600-year-old statue when he nudged its ancient pinky and it snapped right off.

In the final part of his series on the national mood, NPR's John Ydstie reports from East St. Louis, Mo., a predominantly African-American community that's been losing young people and not seeing much bounce from the upswing in the national economy. Better education is seen as a way out, but the people Ydstie spoke with say the federal No Child Left Behind Law is not helping their community. On the issue of Iraq, the group is against U.S. action there -- and very much against the president.

Before Tony Montana, there was Meyer Lansky. True-crime writer T.J. English recounts the history of a mob-ruled Havana before the 1959 revolution.

Christian nationalists believe America should be defined by Christianity. Experts say it poses a major threat to democracy.

Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan reviews American Dreamz, directed by Paul Weitz. It stars Hugh Grant as a Simon Cowell-like host of an American Idol knockoff. It's is satire that takes on pop culture and politics.

Junot Diaz is a young writer who was born in the Dominican Republic. He was raised there, but also in New Jersey, and he has just published a collection of stories about growing up on his old home island and in the U.S. The book is called Drown.

In the Little Ethiopia section of Los Angeles, Christmas traditions remain strong. New immigrants -- and those who've been here for decades -- recreate the tastes, sounds, and smells of an Ethiopian Christmas. NPR's Renee Montagne reports.

The writer and Spanish Civil War veteran William Herrick died over the weekend. Our book commentator Alan Cheuse describes Herrick's life and work and the modern relevance of the writer's greatest subject: politics and terror.