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August was the deadliest month yet, with thousands of people, mostly civilians, killed in fighting around the country. While anti-government rebels are making advances, government troops are digging in their heels.

Being in the video rental business is tough these days, and Old Bank DVD in Los Angeles goes after every last dollar. Actor Nicholas Cage owed more than $200 in late fees. The store outed him on Facebook, and he settled the debt.

Freshmen "common reads" are becoming increasingly popular at American colleges and universities. One of the more popular common read assignments is Jared Diamond's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Originally broadcast on Sept. 8, 2011.

Julio Cortázar's book Rayuela is expansive, smart, breezy, romantic and occasionally reminiscent of a disturbing dream. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says that Miguel Zenon and Laurent Coq's Rayuela-inspired album lands on all those squares.

Transgender performers have long been accepted as entertainment at baby showers and weddings in Pakistan; they are thought to bring good luck. But despite a recent legal victory, they continue to face widespread discrimination in the conservative Muslim country.

The Greek island of Ikaria is named after a boy who, according to myth, died after trying to fly with wings made of wax. Modern islanders aren't as ambitious but they do live longer — Ikaria is said to have the highest percentage of 99-year-olds in the world. Locals attribute the longevity to a low-stress lifestyle that pays no heed to time.

Melissa Block speaks with Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, about his new piece on the relationship between President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama.

Melissa Block talks with BBC correspondent Emma Tracey, who is at the Paralympic Games in London. Yesterday the so-called "Blade Runner" — South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius — complained immediately following the 200m race that a Brazilian competitor who won the gold had cheated. Pistorius' initial reaction was to criticize the design of his competitor's prostheses as having given him an unfair advantage. Pistorius has since apologized for those remarks.

Syrian rebels have gained control of a series of towns along the Syrian-Turkish border, including the northern town of Azaz. But government forces continue to launch airstrikes there. Azaz is trying to move forward, but it's largely a ghost town now, as tens of thousands of residents have fled to Turkey.

Like countless other Afghan girls, Rahmaniya yearns to go to school. But her older brother wants her to stop going and to get married — and is threatening to kill her if she doesn't. Her plight highlights the difficulties many girls still face in the Taliban heartland if they want to get an education