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This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, which opened the Catholic Church's window onto the modern world. Among other things, it gave a larger role to lay people and updated the liturgy. But the changes provoked a backlash, the effects of which are being felt even today.

After more than 80 years, Emma Thompson's The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit brings Beatrix Potter's beloved character back for a romp around the Scottish countryside — and lots of rule breaking. Thompson says Peter Rabbit's "disrespect for authority" is one of the things she loves about him.

Jim Lehrer was slammed for losing control of last week's presidential debate, and Martha Raddatz is confronting criticism in the lead-up to Thursday's VP battle. But how much control can a moderator exert over ambitious and strong-willed candidates, especially when the stakes are so high?

Mo Yan was one of three writers favored to win. He is perhaps best known in the West as the author of Red Sorghum, which was made into a film. He is only the second Chinese writer to win the Nobel — the other is poet Gao Xingjian, who won in 2000.

In Michigan, voters will decide whether to force the state's utilities get at least 25 percent of their annual retail sales from renewable sources by 2025. There have been many competing claims about costs, jobs and spinoff issues.

In the bottom of the ninth against Baltimore, manager Joe Girardi sat down struggling Alex Rodriguez. He sent in pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez. He hit a home run to tie the game, then hit another home run in extra innings as the Yankees won 3-2.

In 1967, Roy Bates made himself prince of Sealand, an old British fort on a platform off the coast of England. Nevermind it was the size of a McMansion, Prince Roy ruled Sealand for four decades. Roy Bates died this week at 91.

In a recent article on The Daily Beast, Barnard College President Debora Spar argued having it all is the standard of success for women. Striving for it, she says, condemns women and their daughters to failure. Spar talks with NPR's Neal Conan about the perfection trap for women.

Ben Affleck's new film chronicles the CIA's rescue of six U.S. Embassy workers held hostage during the 1979 Iranian revolution. Critic Bob Mondello says the fine balance struck between Argo's snappy script and heart-stopping thrills makes the film worthy of Oscar buzz. (Recommended)

Artillery fire between Syria and Turkey has further raised the stakes, and NATO has pledged to defend its Turkish ally. NPR's Peter Kenyon, Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma, and Soner Cagaptay of The Washington Institute discuss the broader implications.