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Four Arab leaders have been driven from power this year, but only one is facing trial. Democracy activists say prosecution is necessary to establish the primacy of the rule of law. But some pragmatists say the threat of prosecution encourages dictators to cling to power rather than consider exile.

Critics have said the military commissions lack openness and permit evidence that would not be allowed in civilian courts. But Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay, says the military commissions will stand up to scrutiny in the upcoming trials of accused 9-11 plotters.

Life for most Haitians is a constant struggle for clean water. And now that cholera has invaded Haiti, safe drinking water has become Haiti's most urgent public health problem. The disease has killed more than 7,000 people since late 2010.

Poet Wislawa Szymborska of Poland died this week at the age of 88. Renee Montagne talks to Lawrence Weschler about her death. He covered Poland in the 1980s and '90s as a staff writer for The New Yorker. And Weschler has written about her in his books including his latest Uncanny Valley.

Haiti is suffering the world's worst cholera epidemic, killing more than 7,000 people since the outbreak began in October 2010. One aid group is pushing for a vaccination campaign. But critics worry about its efficacy — and that it may distract from improving access to clean water and sanitation.

The comedian was one of early network TV's biggest stars, and he didn't do smut or smarmy remarks. Caesar did skits: grown-up, gentle comedy for the whole family. He died Wednesday morning at his home in Beverly Hills.

Don Gonyea talks to with NPR Senior Political Correspondent Mara Liaison and Robert Costa of The Washington Post about the issues and key races in this fall's midterm elections.

Most Pakistanis follow a form of Islam that's entwined with South Asia's mystical Sufi tradition. They are known as Barelvis, and they are under attack from hardline Deobandis Muslims.

Actress Lauren Bacall, who paired with spouse Humphrey Bogart in films including The Big Sleep and Key Largo, has died at 89, according to the Bogart estate. NPR has not confirmed the report.

The business lobby is pushing hard for the survival of the Export-Import Bank, which has supported U.S. exports for 80 years. Some House GOP leaders, though, think it's time to kill the bank.