The city of Detroit has been in the headlines after the state announced plans to appoint an emergency financial manager. But how are smaller cities dealing with a budget that's in the red? To find out more, host Michel Martin speaks with Diana Garza, mayor of Floresville, Texas. Garza is new to the job — a position that pays $100 a month.

If someone's heart suddenly stops beating, a quick shock can be a lifesaver.

By the time a person can get to the hospital, though, it's often too late. The chances of survival are best, in fact, if the shock is given within three minutes of a person's collapse.

Liberal arts colleges are trying hard to attract minority students and faculty. But what happens when they get on campus? Host Michel Martin talks to the dean and chief diversity officer of Middlebury College, Shirley Collado, and her former student Sheyenne Brown, about initiatives to make schools more inclusive for people of color.

Every two years, the Oklahoma Municipal League surveys hundreds of its member cities and towns about their water rates.

StateImpact got an early look at the 2012 data, and found Fort Towson, just across the Red River in Choctaw County, has the highest residential water rate of any community that responded to the OML survey.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions on North Korea just hours after Pyongyang threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States and its allies.

The Security Council's actions to clamp down on the North's nuclear program follow the country's third nuclear test, carried out last month in defiance of previous United Nations' sanctions.

The 15-0 Security Council vote Thursday includes China, which has backed North Korea in the past and is one of the country's few allies.

Oklahoma courts would not be allowed to consider foreign law when hearing cases in a bill approved by the state House yesterday. ECapitol reports the legislation by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Gary Michael Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, voids foreign law contracts if they violate the constitutionally protected rights of the individuals involved.

Voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution putting in place similar restrictions. But a federal appeals court ruled it was unconstitutional.

 A bill that takes money from a program for needy Oklahoma families and directs that it be used to create an advertising campaign to promote marriage has cleared the Oklahoma House.

The House voted 71-27 Wednesday for the bill sponsored by Republican House Speaker T.W. Shannon of Lawton. The proposal calls for the creation of a statewide public service announcement campaign that promotes marriage as a tool against poverty.

Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis has been replaced on the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Energy. A news release on the company's website says the board accepted Hargis' resignation effective immediately.

Board Chairman Archie Dunham announced Thursday that Louis A. Raspino has been elected to fill the vacancy and has been appointed chairman of the audit committee. He will stand for election at the 2013 annual meeting of shareholders in June.

Wednesday night it was dinner with a small group of Republican lawmakers.

Thursday it's lunch with 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

Next week, the president is due to have lunch with more Republican senators.