If the contemporary era thinks it has cornered the market on presidential candidates who think outside the box — such as Ron Paul and Herman Cain — it should think again. American history is chock-full of one-of-a-kind politicians with White House aspirations.

Today, Kentucky police officers may arrest for misdemeanors such as possession of marijuana or disorderly conduct. Beginning Wednesday, police may only cite some misdemeanors rather than arrest. Gov. Steve Beshear signed House Bill 463 into law March 3. The bill is designed to decrease prison population, incarceration costs and recidivism. Section 46 of the bill covers arrestable offenses and makes significant changes to what misdemeanor offenses local law enforcement can and cannot arrest for.

Many Kentucky teenagers graduated from high school over the weekend and many of them will enroll in college. And, if statistics hold true, a majority will be unprepared. School leaders are working to combat a problem that plagues colleges in Kentucky and across the nation: Too many college freshmen are not ready for college-level courses.

Novelist Ann Patchet has a knack for taking her readers to completely new places. In 2002's Bel Canto, she blended terrorism and opera and now — several acclaimed books and almost a decade later — Patchett's out with a new novel about an Amazonian expedition.

State of Wonder follows medical researcher Marina Singh as she joins her former mentor in a search to discover a promising and valuable new drug in the Amazon. Patchett tells NPR's Jacki Lyden that she spent 10 days in the Amazon to get a feel for the book's setting.

Spaghetti and meatballs pretty much sum up the American take on southern Italian food. But the southern Italian island of Sicily is home to a cuisine that spans far beyond what we've come to know as the Italian staples.

So while visitors may be drawn to Sicily for its Greek and Roman ruins, the island is also a gastronomic destination, boasting a cuisine that is both surprisingly diverse and delicious.

The Crystal Cathedral has filed for bankruptcy. The Garden Grove, Calif., church has been in trouble since its founder, Robert Schuller, retired several years ago. Part of the church's problem may be that it can't decide how to move beyond Schuller's original vision to encompass a changed world.

Portuguese voters are going to the polls Sunday after months of economic and political disarray. Like Greece, Ireland and Spain, the country is mired in a spiraling debt crisis.

The new government will have to implement a tough austerity plan in exchange for a massive $112 billion international bailout. And the electorate's mood in Western Europe's poorest country is filled with anxiety over difficult times ahead.

Li Na became the first Chinese winner of a Grand Slam singles tournament when she defeated Italy's Francesca Schiavone in the French Open Women's Final on Saturday.

Yemen's president Ali Abdullah Saleh, is recovering in a Saudi hospital, following surgery for wounds he suffered in a rocket attack on his palace Friday. Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 33 years, left with several senior government officials who were also wounded in the attack.

Saleh's departure set off celebrations in Yemen as protesters have tried for the past four months to oust him from power. But there are concerns his absence could create a power vacuum in a country where al-Qaida has a strong base.