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Nikki Giovanni is one of the most celebrated living poets, known for beautiful descriptions of family, friends, politics and even food. Host Michel Martin talks with Giovanni about her "truth telling" and some of the surprises in her latest collection, Chasing Utopia.

Each year, Halloween brings out the funny, scary and sometimes racist costumes. This year, a young man is getting criticized for wearing blackface to portray slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin. Our diverse panel of parents gives their take on when dress-up goes too far.

Just when you thought the sports calendar couldn't get busier — the World Series, NFL regular season approaching half-way point, the NHL season underway — it can. Ahead of the new NBA season, which begins Tuesday, we'll look at a couple of valuable knees and a couple of legacies. Derrick Rose in Chicago and Russell Westbrook are both coming back from injury and surgery — and their performances could determine whether or not Miami wins a third straight title. Meanwhile, Lebron James tries to build his legacy, and Kobe Bryant tries to retain his.

Lots of New England towns have taken non-binding votes against tar sands oil, but residents of South Portland, Maine, are about to take a vote that could matter. They are considering an ordinance designed to prevent their port from being used to export tar sands to world markets via an existing pipeline that connects Maine to Montreal.

For Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, the big question was not why isn't the HealthCare.gov website working. It was why are people being told their insurance is being cancelled when President Obama said they can keep it, no matter what. Administration officials said the new coverage will be better.

The number of polio cases globally sank to an all-time low in 2012. But outbreaks in Syria and Somalia this year are jeopardizing efforts to eradicate the virus. A recent visit to the Somali-Ethiopian border highlights just how easily polio can regain a foothold in rural, insecure communities.

Commentator Frank Deford has some theories about why NASCAR is having trouble expanding its audience.

When Amazon revamped its publishing wing, a lot of booksellers said enough is enough: They refused to stock Amazon Publishing's books, and Barnes & Noble followed suit. Now, with the departure of a star talent and some book releases that fell flat, many say Amazon Publishing may in trouble.

For all their notoriety as wasteful "pork barrel" projects, earmarks did have one obvious benefit: They helped congressional leaders pass spending bills. A multibillion-dollar appropriations package was much easier to sell to members if they could brag about something for their home states. In recent years, with earmarks banned, spending bills have largely been replaced with "continuing resolutions," which simply keep spending levels for existing programs going for a few more weeks or months.

Police cars in Iowa and Florida are testing a secret weapon: a small cannon embedded in the grill. It shoots "tracking" bullets — containing tiny GPS devices — that can stick to the trunk of a suspect's car. Police could then follow a suspect at a leisurely pace instead of embarking on a dangerous high-speed chase.