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Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has conceded defeat in parliamentary elections in the former Soviet republic, clearing the way for the opposition Georgian Dream party to form a new government. The country's new ruling party says it will continue a pro-Western stance but also seek to restore ties with Russia.

In this year's presidential election, more than 1 out of every 10 eligible voters is Hispanic, and Hispanic political clout is growing. But while Spanish-language ad spending by the campaigns is eight times what was spent in 2008, that spending has been focused mainly on just seven media markets.

Only two groups of people really matter in any game: the players and the officials. That's the lesson the NFL inadvertently taught football fans in the past four weeks, says Frank Deford. At many stadiums, the regular officials were greeted with loud ovations after their lockout ended.

Washington state apple growers are harvesting the second-largest crop in history, but it appears there won't be enough workers to get the fruit off the trees quickly enough. The next few weeks are when the bulk of the region's fruit is picked. The labor shortage comes as apple prices are high.

In the run-up to the presidential election, Morning Edition visited communities in swing states — in fact, in swing counties — that are predictably unpredictable when it comes to voting. We wanted to hear from voters where they live — to understand what's shaping their thinking this election year.

The federal government wants hospitals to take responsibility for discharged patients to make sure they are not admitted again within 30 days. Medicare will penalize hospitals with many repeat admissions, but some think putting this whole burden on hospitals is not fair.

Voters who tune in to the debates Wednesday night will likely hear conflicting interpretations of history. What truly happened in the past is the subject of an ongoing, loud debate in politics. Steve Inskeep delves into this topic with college professor Timothy Messer-Kruse, who attempted to make a small edit on the Wikipedia page for the 1886 Haymarket Square riot in Chicago.

Early voting began Tuesday in the battleground state of Ohio — even as court fights continue over the state's early voting laws. Ohio voters have picked the winners in the last 12 presidential contests. Within minutes of the polls opening, 24 people were lining up to use the touch-screen voting booths.

The latest poll by NPR and its bipartisan polling team shows President Obama with a 7-point lead among likely voters nationally and a 6-point lead in the dozen battleground states where both campaigns are spending most of their time and money. But battleground voters were also more downbeat about the direction of the country.

WNYT's Paul Caiano delivers his morning forecast.