Little more than a month ago, no one had heard of Macerata. Then the murder of Pamela Mastropietro thrust the small town in central Italy onto the national stage, and the whole course of a pivotal national election was altered.
The government of Italy has collapsed. But nobody is hitting the panic button. A new government could be formed in the next couple of days — and voters are unlikely to get a say. Again.
There's another government besides the US in danger of shutting down: the one in Italy, where the government is on the verge of collapsing because of the failure of politicians on the left and the right to find a compromise.
As Italian politicians campaign for national elections this weekend, the sad state of the economy and politics in Italy are the subject of a new stage adaptation of "The Full Monty." It features two real-life unemployed workers as cast members.
In Italy, the caretaker government of Prime Minister Mario Monti has been dissolved. But with new elections to be held In February and another former prime minister already set to run again, some say this isn't necessarily the end of Monti.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, who took office in November 2011, announced this weekend he would resign, after Silvio Berlusconi's party said it could no longer support Monti's government. Berlusconi would run for a Fifth term as Prime Minister.
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been found guilty of tax evasion. Megan Williams talks to Marco Werman about the ruling, and what comes next to Italy's flamboyant former leader.
Italy's new prime minister says he wants to build "a future of dignity and hope" for Italy's children.