NPR's Morning Edition

Activists in the Syrian city of Homs say rockets struck the house where the two journalists were staying. Syrian troops have been shelling the city. French officials identify one journalist as photographer Remi Ochlik. The Sunday Times of London confirms the other was American reporter Marie Colvin.

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. It used to be easy to cross the border between the U.S. and Canada. Today, there's more scrutiny, as Boston area college students now know. Buses took the students on a ski trip in Quebec. On the way back, the buses were stopped. Vermont state troopers cited 26 students for alcohol. In their defense, the drinking age in Quebec is 18, compared with 21 in the United States. But it was harder to explain the drugs that were onboard the buses. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Now, to a less controversial collaboration. Last night, the president and first lady hosted a blues night at the White House. They were marking Black History Month, and guests included legends B.B. King, and also newcomers like Trombone Shorty.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Not to mention, Mick Jagger and Buddy Guy, who nudged the president to join the band for an impromptu guest vocal.

BUDDY GUY: I heard you singing Al Green. So you done started something. You gotta keep it up now.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

The latest turmoil in Wisconsin involves the redistricting of political boundaries. Shawn Johnson of Wisconsin Public Radio describes the intense partisan bickering over the drawing of the state's new voting maps.

NPR's Mike Pesca re-acquaints us with the long-gone TV show "The Superstars." It aired on ABC and was a kind of made-for-TV decathlon; it featured all kinds of athletes competing against each other. Olympians and their sports often fared very well.

The trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is due to end today. Mubarak is accused of ordering the killing of protesters during last year's Arab Spring uprising. The prosecution has demanded the death penalty, but a verdict is not expected for some weeks yet. Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson about the trial.

On the day she was born, Fawzia Koofi nearly died after being left outside in the unrelenting Afghan sun. But against all odds, Koofi survived and went on to become Afghanistan's first female deputy speaker of Parliament. Today, Koofi's name is floated in discussions about whether Afghanistan is ready for a first female president.

Just about three years after he violently assaulted her, R&B singer Chris Brown is back with pop star Rihanna — musically, at least. On Monday night, each released a new version of a previously released song. Both remixes feature the other party, and both are causing quite the stir.

On Wednesday, February 22nd, a conversation with Lee Cathcart about his efforts to reach children before they become too connected to technology, and get them outside where they can learn about the old ways of gardening and a good work ethic. Cathcart's Children's Equestrian Ministry is willing to travel anywhere to talk to groups and organizations about sustainable gardening and about making sure that the old ways don't get lost.

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. A couple who met working in a bookstore in Denver have spent their marriage amassing books about their passion - nature. Tales of birds and bees and literature like "The Mad Farmer" poem spill out of every corner of their home - 30,000 volumes. Now the house is up for sale and they're scrambling to find storage. One admirer joked to the Denver Post, it's a thin line between collecting and hoarding, but this collection is the best. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.