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Two men died this week whose names may not be immediately recognizable, but whose ideas had a real impact on our society.

NPR's Debbie Elliott reports from Birmingham, Alabama, where jury selection begins today in the trial of one of the last surviving suspects in the bombing of a black church in 1963. Thomas Blanton Jr., a former Ku Klux Klan member, is accused of helping to plant the bomb that killed four girls and injured more than 20 others.

Joey Ramone, lead singer of the punk rock group, the Ramones, died of lymphoma yesterday. He was 49. The Ramones helped to define punk in the 1970s with songs like I Wanna be Sedated and Teenage Lobotomy.

NPR's Jackie Northam reports on members of a wandering band of young Sudanese refugees who are being resettled in the American Midwest. After losing their parents during the country's 40 years of civil war, thousands of orphans streaming into Kenya became known as the 'Lost Boys of Sudan.'

NPR's Wendy Kaufmann reports on how the 24-member U.S. Navy air crew passed the time while in detention in China. It wasn't all serious business--gin rummy and American pop songs were also part of the mix.

Lisa talks with author Adrian House about his new bookFrancis of Assisi: A Revolutionary Life. Francis, who lived from 1182 to 1226, started out as a party-boy. At age 24, he underwent a religious conversion, and began a spiritual journey that continues to inspire millions of people throughout the world.

19th Century composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt (frahnz list) was a deeply religious man who sometimes wrote music inspired by his faith. He wrote two pieces for piano dedicated to St. Francis; we'll hear one of them, Legend: St. Francis Preaching to the Birds, along with a brief explanation of the music by Tom Mastroianni, president of the American Liszt Society.

Host Bob Edwards talks with Rev. Damon Lynch, pastor of the new Prospect Church and president of the Cincinnati Black United Front. They discuss the atmosphere in Cincinnati in the aftermath of last week's violence there.

Lester Graham of the Great Lakes Radio Consortium reports that rising energy costs have led some Midwestern states to reconsider drilling for natural gas under the Great Lakes.

After struggling with the Earned Income Tax Credit, commentator Len Burman argues that what the IRS calls fraud is often just confusion. (2:56).

NPR's Don Gonyea reports President Bush took note of the taxpayer's deadline today by attending a tax cut rally sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The president used the occasion to argue for his own combination of tax cuts, totaling $1.6 trillion over 10 years.

Robert Siegel talks with Beth Herzfeld, spokeswoman for Anti-Slavery International (www.antislavery.org), about children on a boat that is missing off the coast of Benin. The ship is said to be taking part in a thriving slave trade in children.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports from Jerusalem on the latest violent conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

NPR's Mike Shuster reports that Bush's proposed budget would cut funds used by the Energy Department to protect Russian bomb-making materials.

Mike Donkin of the BBC reports that a U.N. panel has recommended sanctions against African nations that have gotten involved in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As part of an ongoing series of conversations with Bush administration cabinet members, Host Bob Edwards talks to Mel Martinez, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Secretary Martinez says making housing more affordable is a high priority. (4:56) Check out more coverage of Bush's cabinet.

Commentator Peter Loge has some fun with President Bush's suggestion that the South Lawn of the White House be used as a t-ball field.

In the first of a two reports on wildlife rehabilitators, Nancy Cohen reports on a Massachusetts woman who has raised hundreds of animals. Some wildlife experts are worried about her unusual techniques.

NPR's Ivan Watson reports on the ship suspected of carrying scores of child slaves from the West African country of Benin. Early today officials boarded the ship, but found no sign of the children.

NPR's David Kestenbaum reports that millionaire and "space tourist" Dennis Tito will be allowed to visit the international space station.

As part of our Changing Face of America series, Morning Edition examines some of the ways sports and society have changed together. In the first of three installments, NPR's Tom Goldman travels to Laramie, Wyoming, where two cousins from Nigeria play college basketball -- and try to fit in to a radically different culture.

NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports from Seattle that Puget Sound Energy in Washington State is requesting permission to introduce 'real time pricing' of electricity. The price of electricity would be based on the time of day it's used. Rates would be higher during peak hours in the morning and evening and lower during mid-day and late at night.

NPR's Guy Raz reports on the struggling image of Germany's conservative political party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Analysts claim the CDU lacks a definitive political identity, and consequently, much of the German population views it as "incompetent."

Host Bob Edwards talking with NPR's Debbie Elliot about a murder trial in Birmingham, Alabama, which began yesterday. Ku Klux Klansman Thomas Blanton Jr., is accused of a 1963 church bombing that killed 4 black girls.

Host Bob Edwards talks with Joe Allbaugh, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tomorrow he'll make his second tour of the areas flooded by the swolen Mississippi River. Allbaugh says some of those areas could do more to protect themselves.