Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Janet and Jaqueline Timal are 40-something-year-old sisters, and they have what they call a plastic surgery fund.

"I'm always saving money. When I see I've gathered up enough money for another surgery I do it," Jaqueline says.

She has had breast implants put in and also a tummy tuck. She's ...

It's been one of Brazil's most hotly contested presidential races in a generation. As expected incumbent Dilma Rousseff won, but not by enough to avoid a runoff later in the month.

Brazilians head to the polls Sunday in one of the most exciting elections in recent history there. The presidential race pits two women against each other — a first for the South American country.

Candidate Marina Silva, if elected, would make history by being the first Afro-Brazilian president. But first ...

Antonio Cavalcante helped get a candidate for governor barred after showing that the politician had embezzled millions of dollars while he was a state legislator.

Marina Silva grew up deep in the Amazon and says Brazil must do more to protect its natural riches. But environmentalists have doubts about what she can do, given the powerful agrobusiness interests.

The death of Brazil's Socialist Party presidential candidate created an opportunity for his running mate, Marina Silva. Her entry into the race has upended the situation. Whereas the ...

Once, Brazilians were welcomed in other countries with talk of Brazil's soccer dominance; now, everyone merely speaks of their historic World Cup defeat against Germany.

The man running third in the race to be Brazil's next president has died in a plane crash. Eduardo Campos' small plane crashed in bad weather south of Sao Paulo as it was preparing to land.

The story of Lenira de Oliveira and her dead lover's letter is a tale of Brazil. It's a story of love, jealousy, forgiveness, life after death and the criminal court system. And it's true — though it sounds like fiction.

It sounds, in particular, like the work of the late ...

We think my dog is turning 100 (in dog years) this year. We don't exactly know because Ursa, named after the constellation because she looks like a big golden bear, is a rescue dog.

I was returning home from covering the war in Iraq, and I'd seen the use of ...

Jazz singer Magos Herrera's voice is filled with the contrasts of her native Mexico: It can be honey smooth or smoky rough.

On her latest album, Dawn, Herrera collaborates with Javier Limón, a flamenco guitarist from Spain. The result is a gorgeous collection of American and Latin jazz standards, alongside ...

The nation's political campaigns are in full swing, and evangelical Christians play an increasingly large role. Some Brazilians worry that U.S.-style battles over social issues may be on the way.

What has the soccer tournament really cost Brazil? An overpass that was still under construction collapsed on a bus killing 2 people. And, opposition lawmakers want a probe into World Cup financing.

Brazilian soccer fans, in their grief over the national team's World Cup loss, now must decide whether to cheer for their archrival Argentina or Germany, the team that crushed their Cup dreams.

Brazil is out of soccer's championship series, suffering its worst defeat ever in a World Cup game. Brazil lost to Germany 7-1, and the reaction was one of stunned disbelief.

NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro watched Brazil's World Cup semifinal against Germany in a bar in Sao Paulo. She speaks to Robert Siegel about the game and the devastation it sowed among Brazilian fans.

Brazil faces off with Germany on Tuesday in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Deep into the tournament now, Brazilian fans have developed a clockwork game-day routine they hope continues.

Brazilian street artist Paulo Ito has captured the spirit of the World Cup with two controversial images. They both speak to viewers worldwide about the costs of staging the mega event.