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NPR's Jim Zarroli reports American Airlines is in talks to acquire Trans World Airlines, as part of a complex deal in which American would also agree to buy significant assets from US Airways. No deal is certain and the talks may still fall apart. TWA is the nation's eighth-largest airline. It has struggled for years and would have to file bankruptcy for a third time before any deal could go forward.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to New York Times entertainment critic Elvis Mitchell about this year's nominees for the American Spirit Awards, which showcase independent films. This year's nominees include House of Sand and Fog, In America, The Fog of War and Pieces of April. Mitchell says the American Spirit Awards have a long track record of celebrating exceptional films overlooked by the major studios.

NPR's Mary Ann Akers reports on Native American tribesmen who are suing the U.S. government. In the last century, tribal land has been stripped of its oil and timber without the people's consent. The tribes are now suing for billions of dollars in reimbursement.

NPR's Peter Kenyon reports on the sharp increase in Americans reporting some Indian ancestry. In most of the states released by the Census Bureau so far, the number of people reporting they have a mix of Indian and some other ancestry is far out of proportion with those reporting they are Indian alone.

Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor of history and international relations at Boston University and a retired Army colonel, discusses his new book, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism.

Chris Arnold reports that Silicon Valley, having changed how America does business, is now challenging how American business votes. The business community has long been a Republican stronghold, but high-tech CEOs with new values are threatening to change that.

NPR Economics Correspondent John Ydstie examines the question of whether the American economy is just cooling off or actually entering a recession. The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates, incrementally, attempting to keep inflation under control. But some analysts are afraid the Fed's monetary policy has done too much to slow the economy.

Host Lisa Simeone talks with Phillip J. Brutus, a newly-elected state representative to the Florida legislature. Brutus, is the first Haitian-American elected to the Florida statehouse; he represents the 108th district in Miami. This week Rep. Brutus may be asked to join his colleagues in the legislature to name Florida's 25 electors.

NPR's Kate Seelye reports from Damascus on a group of African-American Muslims sent to Syria to study Arabic and Islam for two years. The hope is, when they return, they will be able to teach others what they've learned and build community life within mainstream Islam in the United States.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports on the new-found political clout of Native Americans. While their votes can decide tight races in a few Western states, it's the money of gaming tribes which is now exercising wider influence. Some tribes are making sizeable donations to presidential and legislative campaigns. Others are using their business profits to both govern themselves and to protect their land and cultural heritage.