North Korea kills South Korean soldiers after firing artillery shells at an island in the Yellow Sea, and South Korea has declared an emergency. 

Both countries claim that the other started it; but the lengthy exchange of artillery fire between the two countries has left two South Korean soldiers dead, 15 wounded. South Korea says the trouble started when the North fired shells at a small fishing island in the Yellow Sea. Some 1600 residents of the island — reportedly mostly fishermen — are fleeing or entering bomb shelters. South Korea has declared a state of emergency and the U.S. has declared its support. What really started the fight?  

Love her or hate her, Sarah Palin is one of the most talked-about figures in politics today. With her new book, "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag," coming out today, we wanted to hear from the people who love and support her in the Republican party.

New "current cruisers," the first mass-marketed plug-in electric cars, will hit the market next month. For utility companies, their arrival is cause for both excitement and anxiety. Plugged into a socket, the Nissan Leafs and Chevrolet Volts can draw as much energy from the grid as a small house. Will the early adopters – and their neighborhoods – wind up in the dark?

The International Monetary Fund’s $140 billion bailout for Ireland has been set in motion, but some economists are talking about a better option for the Emerald Isle: defaulting on their debt. What’s so bad about asking investors to suffer the consequences of over lending?

For this week's segment on the workplace, we look at the battle over affirmative action. Arizona just passed anti-affirmative action legislation earlier this month, and soon, Utah could follow suit.  An anti-affirmative action bill could be reintroduced for a vote in the Utah House of Representatives early next year. With a new crop of Republicans taking over for ousted Democrats after the mid-term elections, the bill looks more and more likely to pass.

For details on this bill and its implications, we speak with KCPW reporter Elizabeth Zeigler, in Utah.

What does "home" mean to you? How do you define it? We've been asking for your responses, and giving some of our own this week. 

North Korea has reportedly fired 200 rounds of artillery shells at a military base on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea. South Korea apparently returned fire, (North Korea says they fired first), scrambled fighter jets and declared an emergency in the country. Two South Korean soldiers are dead, 15 injured, and the some 1,600 residents of the island are either fleeing or heading into local bomb shelters. Some analysts have suggested the reported North Korean attack is an attempt at gaining a strategic foothold in demanding more aid, while people in South Korea are wondering if it's the beginning of long-anticipated war.   

As we continue our week long series of what "home" means, Celeste Headlee, joins in on the fun. She and her kids share their idea of what "home" is, especially after having moved so many times.

We've been hearing from listeners since last week about the TSA's new security procedures, from full-body scans to thorough pat-downs. In this segment we speak with one, who asked only to be called by her first name. Layla is a Takeaway listener from Detroit, who just flew from her home to San Diego and back. 

Earlier this month, seventy percent of voters in Oklahoma said yes to a controversial amendment to the state's constitution, which bans the use of Sharia law in Oklahoma's courts. On Monday, a U.S. District Judge extended a ban on the Sharia amendment. In a state that has only very few Muslims – between 15,000 and 30,000 – why did so many Oklahomans feel that Sharia law was a threat? 

Pope Benedict XVI's opinions on the use of condoms have been expanded in a book released this morning. In interviews used in the book, "Light of the World," the Pope told a German journalist that using condoms to prevent of HIV, such as in the case of male prostitutes, is a "lesser evil." Is the Vatican's position on birth control changing? 

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet…  but what about a song in any other key? Could the Beatles’ guitar gently weep if it were written in a major key? For that matter, would Eric Satie’s nocturnes evoke the same sense of loneliness had the tempo been increased by a few beats per minute?  

For months, secret talks between Taliban and Afghan leaders have been inching along towards an agreement to end the war in Afghanistan. They've been helped by senior Taliban commander Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. But it turns out he was an impostor. We're joined by Professor Christine Fair, from the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University, to learn more about the story.