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Charles "Chuck" Colson, a key figure in the Richard Nixon White House, died Saturday. Colson was the president's special counsel and went to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal. While behind bars, he embraced Christianity. As NPR's Joel Rose reports, he went on to become a central evangelical leader after his release.

The 32nd-annual London Marathon takes place on Sunday. It's London's last major sporting event until the summer Olympics. Vicki Barker spent some time with the race's most seasoned veterans, the so-called "Ever-Presents," who have run in all 31 previous marathons. Time is dwindling their numbers, but not their enthusiasm.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber threw a perfect game Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. Host Rachel Martin talks to NPR's Mike Pesca about Humber's game and about Jamie Moyer, who set a record this week for being the oldest pitcher to win a game.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is heading for a runoff in the race for the presidency. After a first round of voting, he trailed Socialist Francois Hollande. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen finished a strong third. The top two candidates head to a runoff May 6.

Welfare changes in the 1990s helped slash cash benefit rolls, yet the use of food stamps has soared today. One of the original architects of the Clinton overhaul says it was a success, but an official who resigned in protest of the bill says poverty is still on the rise.

Farmland ownership and management has long been dominated by men. But there's a trend toward more women taking an active role, either by choice, or because of inheritance.

After an outbreak of E. coli in spinach killed several people in 2006, farmers clamped down on every possible source of contamination. Those safety efforts have also pushed out wildlife, destroyed sensitive habitats and increased pollution in waterways.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist challenger Francois Hollande will face off next month in a presidential runoff. Anti-immigrant candidate Marine Le Pen came in a surprisingly strong third place.

Unlike the United States, Germany never had a housing bubble. Its mortgage market is too tightly regulated. But some German banks did lose a lot of money in the financial crisis. The network of institutions called landesbanks have became a cautionary tale about risky investing.

A deadly fire and explosion at a German chemical plant has created big headaches for the global auto industry. The recent blast has resulted in a shortage of a chemical compound used in plastic fuel and brake lines. The chemical is hard to replace, and now automakers are scrambling to avoid major production disruptions.