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Jose Saramago tells the grim tale of a city devastated by an epidemic of blindness. Myla Goldberg says Saramago vividly illustrates disaster's potential to bring out both the best and the worst in people.

Automaker Toyota said its preliminary investigation into last week's runaway Toyota Prius in San Diego is at odds with the driver's claims. Federal investigators also say they can't duplicate the acceleration problem blamed for last week's incident.

Friends Brian Sykora and Roger Horowitz create fruit ice pops inspired by the traditional Mexican frozen treat paletas. Though they're not making a living from it yet, the entrepreneurs are selling Pleasant Pops from a bicycle cart at a weekly farmers market. Their best seller? Cucumber chili.

Heidi Durrow's debut novel, The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, explores biracial identity in young adulthood. The book has received critical acclaim as well as the Bellwether Prize for fiction that addresses issues of social justice.

The FBI is investigating the circumstances surrounding the coal mine blast in West Virginia that killed 29 miners. Sources say the FBI is looking into potential criminal negligence on the part of Massey Energy, the owner of the Upper Big Branch coal mine. Sources also say the probe involves allegations of bribery involving the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. A Department of Justice spokeswoman denies the mine safety agency is part of the investigation, however.

The state reported the most cases of the summer, although numbers remain far lower than in the previous three summers. Also, the state had 90,232 reported resident deaths due to the virus.

Four teens have died, another two critically injured, from riding atop moving subway cars between Jan. 1 and July 5. Police say they've arrested over 70 people for subway surfing.

Elizabeth Bear's new novel makes thoughtful use of steampunk elements in a lively tale of brothel inhabitants defending their house against a rival — and in the process uncovering a political plot.

African-American philosopher Cornel West's new book laments the decline of "prophetic" black leadership, lifting up examples of people who were willing to risk their lives in the service of the truth.

In our Weekend Reads series, NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Meg Medina about Isabel Quintero's novel, Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. It's the story of a Mexican-American teenager struggling with her identity.

Paul Tremblay's new novel is, on the surface, a story about a book about a reality show about a real-life event, but reviewer Jason Heller says it becomes an "unsettling conversation about the truth."

There are different kinds of fat people in literature — funny or comforting, sometimes despicable. But Sarai Walker's Dietland gives us a new fat protagonist — complex, compelling and dangerous.

Miranda July's new novel The First Bad Man defies neat summaries; reviewer Annalisa Quinn calls July "a master of the intimate weirdnesses of human thought," who treats dusty mental corners with care.

From a scapegoat for the "sapping" of the "white race," to a symbol of modern engineering, to a target of the counterculture movement: White bread's been a social lightning rod time and again.

Polish author Olga Tokarczuk's new collection is a cabinet of curiosities — surreal, loosely connected stories about the human body, about movement, about two-headed calves and saints' relics.

On Sunday, it was the 55th day this year that the official reading at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport hit 110 degrees. But the end may finally be in sight for residents of Arizona's largest city.

People in Florida already seem to be planning for their upcoming holiday trips. According to a recent AAA survey, 61% of those polled are securing their travel plans ahead of time.

Nothing says spring to writer Howard Yoon like Peeps. The squishy, marshmallow animals have a devoted following. A chocolate marshallow pie is a perfect way to savor them.

For most people, curry -- that happy intersection of pungent chili powder and fragrant spices -- epitomizes Indian food. But the vast country's kitchens offer so much more. Roseanne Pereira provides a primer to the kaleidoscope of Indian spices and recipes for some of her favorite dishes.

As consumers cut back their spending in the worsening economy, the effects are being felt even in the wastepaper recycling and exporting industry. Decreased demand for products means a drop in the need for packaging — and the recycled materials that it's made from.

The NPR Board of Directors has announced that Vivian Schiller will be the new president and CEO. Schiller is vice president and general manager of NYT.com.

The recent report from York, Pa., in which Michele Norris and Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep spoke to a diverse group of voters about race and politics generated lots of equally diverse feedback.

In an NPR interview, a former Bush administration official says a decision by Tehran to recount some ballots in last week's disputed election is a positive step, but is ultimately aimed at keeping incumbent leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power.

The data, apparently taken from a location used to automate email messages, was made available by an “unknown and unauthorized party” on an online forum, HCA announced.

Another batch of negative economic reports Tuesday: One showed inflation sharply higher; another found consumers in a glum mood; and a third reported housing prices continuing to fall. Nevertheless, the stock market ended the day up.