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Leadership shake-ups across the Arab world have not necessarily made things better for everyone, particularly the United States. Islamists have been voted into power, but is this a better scenario than having dictators faithful to U.S. interests? It's up for debate at Intelligence Squared U.S.

The Khan Academy is a leading online education tool. Founder Salman Khan started the company after tutoring his niece who was struggling with middle school math. His new book is The One World Schoolhouse and he speaks with host Michel Martin.

Education historian Diane Ravitch served as Assistant Secretary of Education under George H.W. Bush. She later advocated No Child Left Behind's strict testing standards and expansion of charter schools. But, Ravitch now says those initiatives have failed, and the real enemy of schools is poverty. Professor Ravitch talks to host Michel Martin.

In 2011, more than 95,000 young people were locked up in jails and prisons for adults. Thousands spent time in solitary confinement.

States in the Deep South traditionally vote Republican in every presidential election. However, a string of "blue" counties curve through Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. And the reason for this political anomaly seems to lie with ancient oceans and dead plankton.

Statistical analyst Nate Silver says humility is key to making accurate predictions. Silver, who writes the New York Times' FiveThirtyEight blog, has just written a new book called The Signal and the Noise.

Diplomatic security was weak, a former commander of the "site security team" tells Congress. A State Department security aide, though, says "the system we had in place was regularly tested and appeared to work as planned."

States pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to house each inmate. Some states are rethinking the way they spend that money. In Ohio, sentencing reform, increased support for former inmates, and rehabilitation and education programs for current prisoners have helped keep prisoners from returning.

Industrial engineer Scott Summit dreamed of being a rock star. That didn't happen, but he did make an acoustic guitar out of nylon powder.

Fifty years ago, Pope John XXIII shocked the world when he created the Second Vatican Council. Known as Vatican II, the council called thousands of bishops and other religious leaders to the Vatican, where they forged a new set of operating principles for the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the council's legacy is at once celebrated and carefully managed.