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The polls open Saturday in South Carolina, the first southern state to hold a primary in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. In recent history, this state has picked the ultimate nominee, so the stakes are high. It's a responsibility voters are taking seriously.

Thousands of women were taken into Magdalene Laundries, run by the Catholic Church, and forced to work without pay. The practice went on for decades after Ireland's independence, with the last one closing in 1996. For the first time, the state has acknowledged and apologized for its role in facilitating the practice.

Pope Benedict XVI leaves the church in the midst of change: American Catholics' social views tend to diverge from the Vatican's, and the church now sees much of its support in South America and Africa. One former member of the College of Cardinals says the next pope will have to be aware of the church's needs in South America.

Last year, Tea Party favorite and political outsider Rick Scott spent $70 million of his own money to get elected Florida's governor. Faced with a $3.5 billion budget shortfall, the former hospital CEO made unpopular cuts. Now Scott faces another big budget gap — and low approval ratings.

Debris from the tsunami that hit Japan last March is just now starting to show up on the far northwestern shores of the U.S. Some fishermen are worried the floats and other rubble may tangle their nets and affect their livelihood. Ashley Ahearn of the public media collaboration EarthFix headed out to Washington State's Olympic Peninsula to see what's coming ashore.

Clemson University political scientist Dave Woodard has spent the past week polling South Carolina voters ahead of Saturday's primary. Host Scott Simon talks to the former Republican political consultant about South Carolina politics and the results of his Palmetto Poll.

Michael McFaul has been a key figure in the Obama administration's attempt to reset relations with Russia. Now he has become the ambassador, but relations with Moscow are still rocky as the countries differ on several big issues.

Nigeria is again gripped by deadly religious violence. Friday night, a coordinated series of bomb and gun attacks ripped through the largest city in the nation's Muslim north. The attacks were claimed by a militant sect that seeks to impose Islamic law in Nigeria. Host Scott Simon speaks with NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton.

A new lawsuit accuses the administration of violating the First Amendment by threatening the visas of researchers for work on disinformation and content moderation of social media.

Petraeus talks about the military operation so far and how he believes it's different than what he oversaw in Iraq.