Three years ago, the real estate market was simple — simply terrible, that is. In virtually every part of the country, foreclosures were shooting up and prices were plunging. Today, the real estate picture is more nuanced. Foreclosures are still rising, but prices are stabilizing in some markets, making home-buying look more attractive.

If you had talked to some good economists just before the housing bubble burst, they would have told you it didn't make sense to buy a house.

Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi terrorized the Libyan city of Misrata during the civil war. Because it never fell, the city became an icon of the revolution.

But Misrata is gaining a reputation for a militia that is carrying out acts of vengeance, looting and restricting movements in and out of the city.

At a checkpoint 20 miles outside of Misrata, dozens of cars are parked in the hot sun waiting for permission to enter the city. But most are being turned away.

Gluten-free isn't just for natural foodies anymore. It's gone mainstream. So much so, it's even been embraced by restaurateur Thomas Keller, one of the nation's top chefs (he's the only one with three Michelin stars for two restaurants).

The clock is ticking down on Capitol Hill as a congressional super committee has only until Thanksgiving to agree on a plan shrinking deficits by more than a trillion dollars. The entire Congress then has to pass it by Christmas Eve or face huge across-the-board spending cuts.

Twenty-five years ago, another politically-divided Congress approved the biggest tax code overhaul in the nation's history. But much has changed since then.

So far in the Republican presidential contest, the poll numbers have been continually changing, with candidates moving up and then down again. The primary dates are also in flux, with at least four states moving theirs up to January to try to influence the outcome. But there's another set of numbers to watch: the candidates' fundraising totals.

It's October and one color dominates the landscape: pink, the color of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer fundraising events dominate the month, from the massive Avon walks that take place in nine U.S. cities to the international Susan G. Komen Races for the Cure. Even the White House gets bathed in pink floodlights in recognition of the campaign.

But what if your breast cancer diagnosis doesn't make you want to wear pink socks, walk for the cure or be a "warrior in pink?"

The winner of round seven of the Three-Minute Fiction contest will be announced in a few weeks. Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Rebecca Roberts introduces Darius Kroger by William Sirson from Laramie, Wyoming. More stories from the contest can be found at npr.org/threeminutefiction.

Presidential candidates filed their latest campaign finance reports this weekend, showing a widening money gap in the Republican primary race. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry led the field.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s spiritual is at the Ebnezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. King began preaching there when he was just 19. Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Rebecca Roberts talks with Reverend Raphael Warnock, current pastor of the historic church, who offers his insight into preserving King's legacy.

Meet Maddy Spencer — or, to be exact, Madison Desert Flower Rosa Parks Coyote Trickster Spencer — a ridiculous name she takes great pains to hide. She's 13, brainy, a little dumpy and very, very dead.

Maddy is the heroine of Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk's new novel, Damned. It's a sort of coming-of-age tale, except that none of the characters can actually age. They're all dead and in Hell.