State and National News

The National Governors Association held its annual summer meeting in Nashville, Tenn. this week, and the collapsing highway trust fund was the centerpiece issue.

Restoration work on Rio's famed "Christ the Redeemer" statue is now complete. But can Brazil get redemption after not making it to the World Cup finals?

For the amount of money that's expected to be spent in the Kentucky race for U.S. Senate this year, you could buy a bottle of the state's own Maker's Mark whiskey for nearly every man, woman and child in the state.

Some observers say the election could end up as the most expensive Senate race in history, with spending topping $100 million. And why wouldn't it be? It's at the heart of the battle for control of the U.S. Senate.

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TAMARA KEITH, HOST:

The film "Boyhood," which opened last night in LA and New York, was shot over 12 years. The result is a time lapse of childhood. No special effects, just the sometimes dramatic changes that can take place from year to year - both physically and emotionally. We are joined now by Ellar Coltrane who plays Mason, Jr. - the boy of "Boyhood" - the main character who we see grow up on screen. And let's get something out of the way. This is not a documentary, right?

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TAMARA KEITH, HOST:

You may or may not recognize the name. But I'm pretty confident you already know our next guest - Jack Antonoff. Two summers ago, if you had a radio or a phone or just went outside anywhere where speakers exist, you heard Jack Antonoff. He was playing an extra distorted guitar for a band called Fun.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WE ARE YOUNG")

FUN: (Singing) Tonight we are young. So let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun.

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TAMARA KEITH, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Tamara Keith in for Scott Simon. The conflict continues between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip. Israeli air strikes have killed more than 120 Palestinians since Tuesday morning. In Israel, nearly a dozen Israelis have been seriously injured by rocket fire from Gaza. There is no cease-fire in sight, but there may be some indications of a slowdown. NPR's Emily Harris joins us from Gaza City. Hi, Emily.

EMILY HARRIS, BYLINE: Good morning.

Secretary of State John Kerry is in Kabul to try to resolve an election dispute threatening to derail the country's democratic process. NPR's Tamara Keith talks to Kabul correspondent Sean Carberry.

The World Cup is down to four teams: Argentina, Germany, Brazil and the Netherlands. We've seen how these nations perform on the soccer field. But how do they perform in the fields of health and development?

Poverty

The violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip has taken on a grisly repetition: This is the third time in five years that Israel has bombed Gaza in response to Hamas rocket fire.

And as Israel considers what would surely be a bloody ground invasion, it's unclear what such an operation would hope to achieve — or how much things would change.

In New York City's East Village, there are a number of hole-in-the-wall spots that advertise sushi at 50 percent off. But I can never bring myself to sample the goods. We're talking about a delicacy flown in from around the world. Marking it down drastically just doesn't sit right. Something — either the price, or the fish — has to be a little off.