NPR News

Facing the prospect of a recall election in June, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker came to Washington on Thursday to talk up the merits of the anti-union legislation that has landed him in hot water — and to raise funds to save his job.

Walker said he's certain his opponents will gather the 540,000 signatures they need in time for the Jan. 17 deadline, setting up a recall election in June.

How much lead does it take to ruin a brain? Not much, according to a new standard proposed for lead poisoning in children.

The amount of lead in a child's blood that determines dangerous lead exposure should be cut in half, from the current standard of 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood to 5 micrograms for ages 5 and below, a federal advisory committee said Wednesday.

That in itself would be a big step, and would double the number of young children in the United States officially considered to have lead poisoning to almost 500,000.

Melissa Block interviews Reem Asaad, a Saudi writer and women's rights advocate, who launched a campaign in 2008 to boycott lingerie shops that only employ men. A new royal decree in Saudi Arabia now bans men from selling lingerie.

Robert Siegel speaks with newly appointed director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray.