NPR News

Charlotte, N.C., host of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, is the nation's biggest financial center outside of New York. But Charlotte and surrounding Mecklenburg County have the highest foreclosure rates in the state, and many thousands of homeowners owe more on their homes than the properties are worth.

As thousands of Democrats converge in Charlotte for the convention, some troubled homeowners have also gathered, lamenting that the foreclosure crisis has not been sufficiently front and center in the presidential campaign.

What's usually a formality turned a bit dramatic today at the opening of the second day of the Democratic National Convention.

A motion for a voice vote to amend the party platform to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel — and to reinsert the word "God" into the document — was met with many delegates shouting "no" and with loud boos when the motion was deemed to have passed.

The number of U.S. families struggling to put enough food on the table remains at record-high levels, according to new figures out today from the government. Last year, 1 in almost 7 households were what the government calls "food insecure." That's about the same level as in 2010, but still far higher than before the recession.

OK, let's get the elephant out of the room right away. John Cage's most famous, or infamous, work is "4'33"," in which a musician walks onstage and sits at the piano for 4 minutes and 33 seconds.

Many reports have stated that Matt Bissonnette, the former Navy SEAL who wrote the book No Easy Day, plans to give a large share of his profits to the Navy SEAL Foundation, a group that aids Naval Special Warfare personnel and their families. But the foundation says it won't accept any money from the book, which has sparked questions over whether it contains classified details that could put U.S. military personnel at risk.

When it comes to contraception, women have many options. There are pills, patches, diaphragms and even a vaginal ring that slowly releases birth control hormones.

Archaeologists in Britain have begun looking for the remains of the last English king to die in battle. They believe King Richard III was buried under what is currently a parking lot in the city of Leicester. Robert Siegel talks to Philippa Langley of the Richard III Society, who has been at the dig site.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley spoke Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. O'Malley, who's in his second term, is considered a likely contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. In a routine pilgrimage for candidates considering a presidential run, O'Malley spoke before the Iowa delegation Wednesday morning. But remarks he made this past Sunday, when asked about whether the U.S. economy of "better off" than for years ago, have overshadowed his week in Charlotte.