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The Common Core initiative would standardize academic goals nationwide. Forty-five states have signed on, but lawmakers in some states are rethinking their support. While both sides are stepping up their messaging, a poll out this month shows 62 percent of Americans have never heard of Common Core.

Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was honored over the weekend for her service to the public by Scripps College. Her alma mater awarded her the school's highest level of recognition: the Ellen Browning Scripps Medal.

Pregnant women are told not to drink, smoke or stress out. But it hasn't been clear how those choices may affect a fetus. By studying how genes are turned on and off, scientists say they are getting closer to understanding what experiences in the womb really affect a child's health.

The farm bill which Congress is bitterly divided over is set to expire at the end of this month. Included in it is the $5 billion a year subsidy called Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program. It shells out money to farmers and land owners regardless of need or loss.

This week, booksellers and writers highlight works removed from schools and libraries. Among the banned books is Toni Morrison's Beloved which gets removed for explicit content. Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is targeted for racial issues.

The U.S. Defense Department has awarded a rich military contract to Lockheed Martin, agreeing to pay more than $3.9 billion for a missile-defense system. The deal calls for a maximum of 110 high-altitude interceptor missiles and 192 versions of the missiles for export to the United Arab Emirates.

Although there are one-third fewer children working than there were in the year 2000, the problem continues. Many are employed in hazardous occupations involving dangerous machinery or harmful chemicals.

Almost all new mothers have trouble breast-feeding in the first week with their babies. The early problems, such as pain, were also the ones most likely to cause the women to give up on breast-feeding earlier than doctors recommend.

Host Michel Martin speaks to Mary Harper, author of Getting Somalia Wrong to learn more about al-Shabab, the group claiming responsibility for this weekend's mall attack in Kenya.

Sales of its new iPhone 5s and 5c models have surpassed other iPhone releases and exceeded initial supply, Apple says. The phones went on sale Friday in the U.S. as well as in many parts of Europe and Asia.