Alex Cohen

An explosion tore through the cafeteria of the Iraqi parliament building Thursday, apparently from a suicide bombing. The Baghdad Convention Center is within the heavily fortified Green Zone. At least eight people, including lawmakers, were killed.

Hundreds of women are taking part in a revival of one of America's most violent sports: roller derby. Alex Cohen of NPR station KQED, and a member of the L.A. Derby Dolls league, reports.

Downtown Los Angeles -- once a largely blighted area deserted after business hours -- is filling up with luxury lofts and landmarks, such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall. City leaders are happy with the revitalization efforts so far, but as Alex Cohen of member station KQED reports, many who live downtown say it's far from perfect.

Alex Cohen of member station KQED reports on a controversial roadside billboard in the Los Angeles metro area advertising a local Spanish-language television station. The ad substitutes "Los Angeles, California" with "Los Angeles, Mexico" -- and the ad has become a flash point for opponents of illegal immigration from the southern border with Mexico.

Shortly after the attacks on Sept. 11, four Iranian brothers were detained by immigration authorities in California. Though an immigration appeals court has ruled that the Mirmehdi brothers are not a threat to national security, they've remained in detention for more than three years. Alex Cohen reports.