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The transition from one role to the other is difficult, and many have failed making the attempt. Nelson Mandela was a rare example who succeeded in both jobs. In addition, he willingly stepped down after one term in office, setting an example for a young democracy.

The law aims to plug a $100 billion shortfall in the state's pension system, which is considered the nation's worst-funded.

President Obama addressed the nation Thursday after news that former South African president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela died, saying the world lost an influential, courageous and "profoundly good" man.

A big ruling on whether poor criminal defendants have the right to a lawyer came this week. A judge in Washington state finds two cities have systematically violated the rights of indigent defendants by providing them with lawyers who spent less than one hour on their cases.

NPR's former South Africa correspondent John Matisonn worked for Nelson Mandela, helping the leader improve his media savvy after he was released from prison on Robben Island. Matisonn remembers Mandela's keen intelligence and resilience. Matisonn tells Robert Siegel the Nobel Peace Prize recipient emphasized that he was an ordinary man, and insisted he was no saint.

A ship called the Daniel J. Morrell was making its last haul of the season when it broke apart in a heavy storm on Lake Huron in November 1966. A few crew members struggled to stay afloat in the driving wind and waves, but ultimately, Dennis Hale was the shipwreck's sole survivor.

Morning Edition reports on the music that sustained Nelson Mandela and other members of the anti-apartheid movement while they were in a South African prison. Many of them were huge reggae fans.

Nelson Mandela was released from a South African prison in 1990. Steve Inskeep talks to Renee Montagne about her time covering South Africa in the early 1990s.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela is universally admired but there was a time when he was caught up in controversy. Steve Inskeep talks to Bill Keller, a columnist for The New York Times, about Mandela's controversial past.

Will Ferrell's Anchorman character is out with an autobiography which wound up in the non-fiction aisle at a Los Angeles area store.The Los Angeles Times first noticed the misplacement Ron Burgundy: Let Me Off At The Top.