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Four teams were ejected from Olympic badminton competition after allegedly throwing games in an effort to engineer easier paths to the medal stand. NPR's Howard Berkes and Tom Goldman discuss how it has thrown the tournament into chaos, and raised questions about sportsmanship and strategy.

Gore Vidal, novelist, playwright, essayist and social commentator, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. Author Chris Bram remembers his singular personality and enormous social, literary and political impact.

The Very Best began when a Swedish producer made a trip to a London thrift shop and a met a Malawian singer. The group's new album makes the case that even amid poverty, warfare and the privations of ghetto life, happiness is possible.

A top foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney on Wednesday defended statements the Republican presidential candidate made in Israel about Palestinian culture.

A man from Great Falls, Mont., made all the right moves. He took his girlfriend to a Cubs game in Chicago and arranged to flash a message on the stadium's giant screen: "Erica, will you marry me?" But she was in the beer line.

In the 1970s, minimalist artist Donald Judd moved to a dusty town in West Texas, where he created giant works of art that bask beneath vast desert skies. In the years since, Marfa has emerged as a mecca for art tourism.

Thursday is day seven of the Summer Olympics. Another big moment is on tap for American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. The host country looks to add to its suddenly growing tally of medals. And badminton marches on, its image battered by scandal. Renee Montagne talks to NPR's Tom Goldman about all things Olympics.

Forbes Magazine just released its rankings of the best universities in the U.S. They're based on graduation rates, student satisfaction, post-graduate debt and success.

New Zealand's Olympians have some extra motivation to win a medal: they are also competing for marmite. The country's only marmite maker was shut down in an earthquake, but one grocery chain found a stash and is awarding the jars to medal-winning athletes.

According to KMGH-TV and The Denver Post, in early June the psychiatrist began the process of involving the university's "threat assessment" team. But when James Holmes withdrew from the school in mid-June, the university lost its control over him.