Arizona and Michigan hold their GOP primaries today. Rick Santorum is trying to stop rival Mitt Romney rolling to the nomination. Yesterday his supporters used robocalls appealing to Democrats to vote against Mitt Romney in Michigan. Mitt Romney described the move as a "dirty trick."

Tuesday marks the seventh day of violent protests in Afghanistan after several copies of the Koran and other religious artifacts were burned in a Baghram air base. Although the President has issued a series of apologies for the mistake, it has not stopped or even slowed the outrage: at present, 40 people have been killed. As one of the most offensive acts to Muslims, it's clear that another method of setting things right need to be pursued.

Using the 14th amendment as their basis, many courts have treated corporations as people. Usually these rulings are beneficial to corporations and their larger interests, such as in the Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to endorse candidates like individuals. However, a new case will determine whether or not a corporation can be convicted as an accomplice to a crime against humanity. In Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, Royal Dutch Petroleum and its subsidiary, Shell, are accused of aiding an autocratic regime that brutalized minorities in an oil-rich region of Nigeria.

Less than two weeks ago, Anthony Shadid, a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, died in Syria from an acute asthma attack. Shadid covered nearly two decades of Middle East conflict, won the Pulitzer Prize twice, and authored three books. "House of Stone," his final book, goes on sale today. 

In Ohio, flags will be flown a half-staff today, in honor of a high school student who was killed by a teenage shooter. The gunman also injured four students at the Chardon High School in Cleveland before he was captured. FBI investigators have yet to press charges, but will hold a news conference later today.

Virginia's state legislature recently voted to repeal a 1993 law capping handgun purchases at one-per-month. The law was designed to help curb interstate gun trafficking along what was known as the "iron pipeline" — the corridor along I-95 from the south to the northeast. In 1991, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had found that 40 percent of guns found at crime scenes in New York had been purchased in Virginia. Two decades later, opponents of the law say that it's become obsolete.

With shifting demographics, the white, working-class worker isn't the only voting block that matters — but they're still very vocal and powerful one. Sharing some beliefs and experiences of disillusionment, these voters primarily cast their ballots based on social issues. As Romney continues to slide in his home state the day before the election, it's possible that Santorum could yet again surpass him in the Michigan and Arizona primaries.

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and ongoing recession, one of the services states have most frequently chosen cut have been those relating to mental health. Since 2010, nearly 4,000 state psychiatric facilities have been closed, and the duration of hospital stays have gone down 39 percent. However, it's no secret that financial difficulties increase rates of depression and anxiety, and these shortened periods of observation have sometimes had fatal consequences.

Voters in Arizona and Michigan go to the polls today. It's no secret that Michigan,  the state where Mitt Romney grew up,  is a must-win for Romney. Add in the fact that any registered voter is allowed to vote in Michigan's open primary it sounds like Rick Santorum has caught the Democratic bug. In a robocall circulated in Michigan yesterday, Santorum tried to woo the Democrats.

After half a century at the forefront of space exploration, NASA’s been hit by hard times. Last year, its groundbreaking and celebrated space-shuttle program was shuttered. The cosmos won’t see another American spacecraft for at least another decade, and that once dreamed of trip to Mars — not too long ago a serious interest of the U.S. government — isn't even close to being a priority.

While Mitt Romney may have a hard time in his home state of Michigan, he is expected to win the state of Arizona in today's primary contest. Romney, long believed to be the eventual nominee, has faced stiff resistance for insurgent candidates along the trail. Buzz Conover, reporter for Arizona Public Media in Tuscon, joins The Takeaway to talk about today's primary and how it could help Romney's flailing campaign.