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A chance encounter with a little girl in an ice cream store inspired R.J. Palacio to write a novel about a boy born with distorted facial features. She says it got her thinking about what it's like to "have to face a world every day that doesn't know how to face you back."

Billie Jean King was a champ — she had 20 Wimbledon titles — and a leader who urged fair treatment and pay for female players. She told Fresh Air about the problems before there was a women's league.

Pope Francis has famously shunned luxury items — including the popemobile. The pope has accepted the keys to a 1984 Renault with nearly 190,000 miles on it. It was a gift from a priest. The pope plans to drive it on Vatican grounds.

Police say a driver in Waldorf, Md., lost control of her car while texting — she landed in a lake. She wasn't hurt but she does faces criminal charges

State lawmakers failed to override the governor's veto of a controversial measure that would have lowered state income taxes. Although Republicans had supermajorities in the House and Senate, Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon was able to rally school districts, which feared their budgets would suffer from the decline in general revenue.

British officials unveiled plans Thursday morning to sell the majority of its centuries old postal service. It's the largest privatization of a government service the country has seen in decades. The public offering of the world's oldest postal service would take place in the coming weeks.

Scientists in Australia report they have found a way to turn a protein found in the venom of the Australian tarantula into an insecticide. Tests show the protein is particularly effective against the cotton bollworm.

Victor Willis has finally won a share of the income from his most famous song. The New York Times reports Willis, you know him as the police officer, has emerged from six years of legal wrestling with a new copyright in hand. The victory gives him substantial control over "YMCA" and 32 other Village People tunes.

International Paper will close a mill in Courtland, Alabama, that employs more than 1,000 workers. The company blamed a decline in the demand for paper products in the U.S. for the decision. It said the shutdown will be completed in about six months.

Mexico's president has unveiled a major shakeup of the country's tax system. His administration says it's aimed at capturing more of Mexico's paltry tax collection. Critics say it's unfairly targeting the middle class. Among the items slated for taxing: dog food and private school tuition.