Jon Huntsman staked his presidential campaign on New Hampshire and his bid to become a legitimate competitor on distinguishing himself from front-runner Mitt Romney. But less than a week after a disappointing third-place finish in the Granite State's GOP primary, Huntsman decided to quit the race and back Romney.

Huntsman will endorse Romney, officials said Sunday, because he believes Romney is the best candidate to beat President Obama in November. Campaign manager Matt David said Huntsman will announce his withdrawal at an event in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

They looked so young, the four college students who sat down and ordered coffee at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., on Feb. 1, 1960.

Legal challenges and demonstrations were cracking the foundations of segregation, but a black person still couldn't sit down and eat a hamburger or a piece of pie in a store that was all too willing to take his money for a tube of toothpaste.

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

To talk more about those opponents and what's happening on the campaign trail, we turn now to NPR's Cokie Roberts, who joins us most Mondays. Good morning, Cokie.

COKIE ROBERTS, BYLINE: Hi, Renee.

MONTAGNE: So let's - it looks like there's one less rival in the Republican contest, now that former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is expected to drop out today and throw his support to Mitt Romney. Let's talk about the likely effect on the rest of the contenders.

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This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

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The civilian government of Pakistan has been under absurd amounts of pressure ever since it won election about four years ago. It's squeezed by the army - which reluctantly surrendered power - by the United States, by a host of insurgents and also by Pakistan's Supreme Court.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli looks at what comes next for the crippled cruise ship Costa Concordia. The ocean-liner is nearly half submerged after running aground off the coast of Italy on Friday. So far it's not leaking oil but scientists are concerned about its impact on the largest protected marine park in Europe.

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Football fans were again glued to their TVs over the weekend, and the latest round of the NFL playoffs did not disappoint. The team with the best record in the regular season, the Green Bay Packers, lost to the New York Giants. And the New England Patriots beat the Denver Broncos, tamping down Tebow mania.

Here to discuss it all is NPR's Mike Pesca. Good morning.

MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: Hello.

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And our last word in business today is the doctor is out. Over the summer we told you about a soft drink called Dublin Dr. Pepper. It's a slightly different version of the popular Dr. Pepper soda, made with pure cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. It was produced by Dr. Pepper Bottling Company in Dublin, Texas, which had been a family-owned business for more than 110 years.

Standard and Poor's has downgraded the credit ratings of nine Euopean countries including France. They face exposure to financial troubles in Greece among other places. Zanny Minton Beddoes, global economics editors at The Economist, talks to Steve Inskeep about the latest European financial troubles.

Renee Montagne has business news.

On today's Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about how the 18 member board is appointed, how it operates, and how it influences decisions at 10 UC campuses across the state. What are their responsibilities and who holds them accountable? Join us at 10 or email feedback @yourcallradio.org. Recent meetings have been disrupted by students concerned about budget cuts and tuition hikes. What do you want to know about the UC Board of Regents? On Monday’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you

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