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Chuck Colson went from being one of the nation's most despised men, who served time in prison for his role in the Watergate scandal, to a hero of conservative Christians. Following a brief illness, he died Saturday at a Northern Virginia hospital with his wife and family at his bedside.

With Iran threatening to block U.S. ships from entering the Persian Gulf and the United States vowing not to back down, the stage seems to be set for war. And yet, what's happening with Iran right now may be more of an economic confrontation than a military standoff.

Tell Me More editor Ammad Omar and host Michel Martin comb through listeners' comments about a recent interview with conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, and Martin's commentary on restoring civility in election campaigns. They also update stories about a FAMU hazing victim and state-sponsored forced sterilization.

In her weekly commentary, host Michel Martin shares that to her chagrin, her stepdaughters proposed to skip the china and use plastic plates for their holiday feast. The episode made Martin empathize with the deficit-cutters in Congress, and consider how tough it is to change the status quo until good-willed people choose to do so.

Each year, as Congress works to wrap up budget and tax bills and other "must-pass" legislation, inevitably not so must-pass items creep into the mix — inserted either to smooth passage for the more important things, or in the hopes that no one will notice. This year marks the first time that leadership has been unable to use earmarks to buy off reluctant votes, and has turned to other forms of grease instead. NPR's David Welna reports.

New Hampshire accounts for a tiny portion of the delegates Republicans are competing for — just 5 percent. But voters in the Granite State feel their votes serve as an important vetting process and spring board for candidates.

Costly licensing fees and content deals with other companies limit Netflix's ability to offer all the movies and TV shows for streaming that its customers want. Experts say the company must find the balance of offering enough variety at the right price to keep up its popularity.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is scheduled to go on trial Wednesday — though it is uncertain whether the proceedings will begin as planned, or at all. Mubarak is charged with multiple crimes, including ordering the killing of protesters.

An ailing, 83-year-old Hosni Mubarak lay on a hospital bed inside a cage of mesh and iron bars in a Cairo courtroom Wednesday as his historic trial began on charges of corruption and ordering the killing of protesters during the uprising that ousted him. "I deny all these accusations completely," he said. Mubarak had ruled Egypt for 30 years.

China, the biggest holder of U.S. treasuries, is reacting strongly to the downgrade of U.S. debt. China's official news agency says the country "has every right now to demand that the United States address its structural debt problems and ensure the safety of China's dollar assets." NPR's Frank Langfitt is following reaction in Asia, and talks with host Scott Simon.