Author Lemony Snicket is known for his dry wit and matter-of-fact take on the mysterious and macabre. He is best known for tales of dastardly villains, clever orphans, and low-ranking members of secret organizations. In his latest children's book, he takes on the dark itself.

Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics. Boston Globe political reporter Jim O'Sullivan previews the special election between Mass. Senate candidates Edward Markey and Gabriel Gomez on June 25. NPR senior Washington editor Ron Elving looks to the future of Congress.

A New York Federal District Court judge ruled that Fox Searchlight Pictures broke the law by not paying two interns for work on the film Black Swan. As a result, private employers may be considering revising their internship programs, or scrapping them altogether.

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous show topics, including research into rare diseases and the joys and myths of having an only child.

Twelve years after the war began, Afghanistan's president announced Tuesday that Afghan forces officially assumed control of security for the country. U.S. and NATO troops will remain until the 2014 deadline, but the Afghan military is now expected to fight without NATO support.