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Journalist and essayist Christopher Hitchens has died from complications of cancer of the esophagus. He was 62. The writer has been closely identified with leftist ideas but has traveled across the ideological spectrum with his support of some conservative causes, including the launch of the Iraq War.

Also: Partial government shutdown likely averted, but no deal yet on extending jobless benefits and payroll tax cut. And: court hearing today for Penn State officials; court hearing today for Bradley Manning.

The songwriter grew up in a small Mennonite community in Canada, but skipped town at 18 to live on a commune in Chicago. His lyrics reflect a life spent wandering and connecting with strangers.

Military prosecutors say Army Pvt. Bradley Manning downloaded troves of secret documents from a computer station in Baghdad and passed them to Wikileaks. If investigators recommend that Manning face court martial, it could land him in prison for the rest of his life. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports.

Today, the Senate approved a $1 trillion bill to fund the government and a two-month payroll tax cut extension. Weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about the last minute deal and other top stories from the past week.

A year ago, a Tunisian fruit-seller set himself on fire after being humiliated by a police officer. The event set off uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East known as the Arab Spring. Looking back at the year of mass protests, demonstrations and oustings of heads of state, the question remains: Is life better in the Arab world?

The American military contingent in Iraq is being replaced by a huge diplomatic contingent. All together, some 16,000 diplomats and private contractors will be working at the embassy in Baghdad and at consulates in Iraq, making it the largest such operation in any country.

As the United States winds down its involvement in Iraq, Host Audie Cornish takes a look at how much money and lives it has taken. Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments tracks the amount of money spent, while Michael White, of iCasualties.org, shares how many lives have been lost.

America's Got Talent champ Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. is a crooner in the classic style, who has surprised and delighted audiences by being himself.

You might remember Ben Jones as Cooter the mechanic on The Dukes of Hazzard, but Jones also spent two terms in Congress. In 1994, he faced off against a very interesting opponent: current Republican presidential frontrunner Newt Gingrich.