This week Today and PM are broadcasting my radio reports on my Balkans trip. One of the frustrations of radio or TV is that you can find someone who has some very interesting things to say, but in the quest for balanced pieces reflecting the whole story I can only give them a half-minute or so of airtime. Here, I am not limited in that way. So, over the next few days I'll be posting four different stories about how people are reacting to the Serbian elections or the looming independence of Kosovo. They are not meant to be comprehensive or in themselves balanced: they are a snapshot. But I hope together they add up to a bigger picture.

In the corner of the small studio is a long necked guitar-like instrument which is a couple of centuries old.

Escondido getting fourth Latino-themed supermarket

They aren't going to pack up and leave," said Hudson. "They have every right to have things in the community that serve them."Jo Ann Case, the city's economic development manager, said Escondido officials contacted the Stein Mart clothing chain and PetSmart last fall when they found out Ralphs was closing."There were no serious talks," Case said. "We were just making them aware that the site was available."City officials also would like to see a home decor retailer, such as HomeGoods, open on East Valley Parkway, she said.Case said she did not know if there was enough demand to support another grocery store in eastern Escondido, especially with a Fresh & Easy specialty grocery slated to open nearby on Jan. 30 at Valley Parkway and Ash Street."If Vallarta thinks there is enough business, then we wish them well," said Case.Abed said the city is not in the business of propping up monopolies or preventing market oversaturation.But, he said, the East Valley corridor badly needs something other than grocers, explaining that Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs also have stores there."Six or seven supermarkets will not make that area a destination," said Abed.Abed said he has no concerns that Vallarta's arrival will jeopardize plans to put a Target store nearby on the former site of the Escondido Union School District headquarters.A deal to put a Wal-Mart store carrying groceries on that site fell through in 2003, when Ralphs complained that a "noncompete" clause in its lease prohibited adding another food store in the Escondido Village Shopping Center.Abed said the plaza since has been divided, and that the Vallarta and Target sites are now owned by different people.In a phone interview, a Vallarta official said the family-owned chain is confident the Escondido location will be as successful as its 25 others in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, Kern and Fresno counties.The company recently began a rapid expansion that includes opening four to five new stores each year."We've been targeting Escondido for a while," said James Lodenquai, human resources director for Vallarta, which was founded in the San Fernando Valley in 1985.

Conservative Gary Bauer endorses McCain

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Republican John McCain challenged the notion he is struggling to rally conservative critics as he picked up the endorsement Monday of evangelical leader Gary Bauer.

Clinton gets North Dakota support

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and my skin's thick enough to handle anyone with No Common Sense. That's what makes our country the best on the planet. I'll just sit on the side of the sandbox and watch the little ones throw sand at each other. But if they start tossing the Big Tonka Trucks, then I'm gonna head for the Monkey Bars.....! " .

Britney's Fall From Grace Makes the Cover of Rolling Stone

A couple of months ago, there were rumors swirling that Britney may be on the cover of Rolling Stone again, and the issue officially hits newsstands this week. The article has more stories about Britney's dizzying downward spiral, including a mall visit gone bad, plastic surgery rumors, and juicy details on her relationship with Justin. So far, the magazine has only released a teaser excerpt, which is just another upsetting story about an outburst Britney had while trying on clothes at Betsey Johnson. Here's more:

. . . she ducks into the dressing room with Ghalib. He emerges with her black Am Ex. The card won't go through, but they keep trying it. "Please," begs Ghalib, "get this done quickly." One of the girls runs to Britney's dressing room, explaining the situation through a pink gauze curtain.