WYSO-FM: Renee Montagne

U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of this month, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in Baghdad to mark the occasion. He said the conflict was worth the price in blood and money, as it set Iraq on a path to democracy.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in the Afghan capital Kabul to meet with Afghan officials, and try to smooth relations with Pakistan. His trip follows a deadly attack on Pakistani troops by a U.S. drone based in Afghanistan. In response, Pakistan has blocked two routes used to supply U.S. troops.

Many Americans could see a bigger bite out of their paychecks unless Congress votes to continue the suspension of the Social Security payroll tax. The tax holiday, enacted to stimulate people to spend money in a bad economy, is scheduled to expire at the end of this year. Senate Democrats plan to try to extend the tax break and pay for it by charging a new tax on the very wealthy.

In the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, hundreds of women lined up at one polling center Monday. For many of the women at the segregated polling station, this is the first election in which they feel their choice will count.

President Obama was in Hawaii over the weekend for a summit of Asian-Pacific leaders. Before he left, he made phone calls to the Democratic and Republican chairs of the supercommittee, which is dealing with debt-reduction in Congress.

Rupert Murdoch's son James has been called back to testify before a Parliamentary committee in London. He faces questions over his previous testimony about the phone-hacking and police bribery scandal involving a defunct News Corp. publication.

After a week of intense political drama played out on the world stage, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is expected to step down Monday. He will make way for a coalition government that's supposed to steer the country through austerity measures and save a bailout deal that is widely seen as Greece's last chance to preserve its economy.

The death of former Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi prompted celebrations in neighboring Tunisia. Hundreds of thousands of refugees streamed into Tunisia during Libya's civil war. Tunisians are proud that the Arab Spring started with them earlier this year.

More demonstrations are being staged in Greece as the parliament votes on another round of stinging austerity measures. Wednesdays protests ended in vicious street battles between police and protesters. Meanwhile, European leaders are unable to agree on plans to stop the Greek debt crisis from spilling into the rest of the Eurozone.

A look at how Latinos and the Spanish language have been portrayed in, and shaped by, American pop culture over the years, from I Love Lucy to Modern Family.