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The 372,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance were up from 368,000 the week before.

Memorial services are being held for miners shot dead recently by police at a South African mine. The violent images were compared to the darkest days of apartheid. Guest host Viviana Hurtado speaks with prominent Johannesburg radio host John Robbie to gauge the mood in the country.

More than three-quarters of the land in the lower 48 states is suffering through conditions ranging from "abnormally dry" to "exceptional drought."

The poll has a margin of error of 3 percent. But, it may not be that far off: Obama won 96 percent of the black vote in 2008.

Republicans will have to rewrite their script if the storm, which is forecast to hit hurricane strength, stays on course to hit Tampa on Monday. That's the first scheduled day of the party's nominating convention.

Insider attacks by Afghan forces have killed 40 coalition troops so far in 2012, including ten Americans. That surpasses the number of so-called green-on-blue attacks in 2011, and raises serious questions about Afghan readiness as American forces prepare for a withdrawal that could begin in 2013.

The Paralympic Games are the second largest sporting event in the world, after the Olympics, and begin August 29th. 4,000 elite disabled athletes will compete in 20 sports. Many of the sports are familiar, but others — like boccia and goalball — are unique to the Paralympics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 2012's outbreak of West Nile virus is on track to be the worst in U.S. history. The mayor of Dallas recently authorized an aerial spraying program to kill the mosquitoes that carry the virus, which provoked protest from area residents.

In Florida, the ad war centers on Medicare. In New Hampshire, a big topic this week is federal student loans. The ads show how the campaigns are tailoring their message to specific voters in key states.

As the party conventions approach, elaborate theatrics on the part of presidential candidates are at the forefront. NPR critic Bob Mondello takes a look at the ways campaigns frame their candidates to make them stand out like Broadway stars.