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In his first year in office, President Obama did better even than legendary arm-twister Lyndon Johnson in winning congressional votes on issues where he took a position, a Congressional Quarterly study finds. That was while Obama tackled two wars, an economic crisis and battles over health care.

A company may celebrate Mother's Day, but does it have family leave policies or offer flex time? Many American companies say "diversity" is a central value, but legal scholar Kimberle Crenshaw says their actions have yet to catch up.

The Middle East is facing its worst water crisis in decades. For three summers, the annual rains have failed to come. Farmland has dried up in Iraq, Syria, southeast Turkey and Lebanon. The dire conditions are creating a new phenomenon: water refugees.

In her book Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History, author Diana Wells explores the history of and people's relationship with about 100 trees. She says she hopes the book will inspire readers to discover the trees around them because "we need the trees and they need us."

The surgeon and writer talks about the massively complicated process of keeping patients alive and shares his simple solution for how that process might be streamlined. Gawande's newest book is called The Checklist Manifesto.

Award-winning reporter and MSNBC blogger Bob Sullivan has been covering issues of online fraud and privacy on the internet for over 12 years. His new book is Stop Getting Ripped Off, a guide to sensible consumption. He shares tips with Terry Gross on how to avoid getting scammed by car salesmen and credit card companies alike.

Raj Patel, author of The Value of Nothing, would like people to think more about the cost of items they buy — not just the price set by the market but the environmental and social costs, too. He says market prices let people avoid paying the true costs of things.

Accounts of the escapades of Narayan Dutt Tiwari, a former governor of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, have stunned that nation. He resigned in December, citing health concerns.

Remarkable Creatures, the new novel by Tracy Chevalier, focuses on the life and work of 19th century fossil hunter Mary Anning, and how her discoveries helped change scientific understanding of the world. Chevalier is the author of Girl with a Pearl Earring.

In 2003, rare-book dealer and bibliodetective Ken Sanders tracked and caught a con artist with designs on first editions of some of the most cherished books in the world. Author Allison Bartlett tells the story in a new book called The Man Who Loved Books Too Much.