A crisis is unfolding in the Middle East, and as expected Israel mounted a huge assault overnight and Gaza militants continued to launch rockets. A key development: the sound of air-raid sirens and explosions heard in Tel Aviv. Natan Sachs, who researches Israeli foreign and domestic policy at the Brookings Institute in D.C., explains what's going on.

The Chinese Community Party ushered in its new leadership on Wednesday, after the party's 18th National Congress. Xi Jinping has taken over for Hu Jiantao. Elizabeth Economy, senior fellow and director for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses China's new leadership.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, food is on most of our minds. But for Adam Gopnik, author and staff writer for The New Yorker, this is nothing out of the ordinary. In his most recent book, The Table Comes First, Gopnik explores the meaning of food — in culture, in family, and in society.

In the past two years, Haiti relief has been the focus of Julliard-educated musician Romel Joseph.  After Joseph was trapped in the rubble of his music school, The New Victoria, he pledged to rebuild his school and raise funds for his ravaged home country. Victoria and Bradley Joseph, Romel’s daughter and son, both musicians with Friends of Music Education for Haiti, explain what they hope to accomplish.

The final installment of the Twilight series releases today and is expected to be the highest grossing movie of 2012. The film is directed by Bill Condon, the director behind "Dream Girls," "Kinsey," and "Gods and Monsters." To review "Twilight: Breaking Dawn-Part 2" is the movie date team, Kristen Meinzer and Rafer Guzman. 

It's been a tough week for fans of the Miami Marlins baseball team, thanks to a series of disappointing trades and business decisions. Phil Latzman, reporter for WLRN and The Miami Herald provides an update.

In his latest film, "The Dust Bowl," director Ken Burns shares the stories of those who survived one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in American history and considers whether the crisis could happen again, in a region heavily dependent on the waters of the Ogallala Aquifer which have been rapidly depleted.