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A long, hot summer and a big, fat novel -- two things that just go together, says All Things Considered book reviewer Alan Cheuse. Cheuse offers his annual summer reading recommendations, including novels, short story collections and a non-fiction book. Get the full list online, with brief comments on each book.

The late architect Samuel Mockbee chose Hale County, Alabama, as a place to teach his students how to "provide a decent community for all citizens." Hale County is one of the poorest counties in the United States, but thanks to the Rural Studio students and teachers carrying on Mockbee's legacy, it's home to some of the most innovative buildings in the nation. View a photo gallery of some of the Rural Studio's work.

Gutting fish is a cold, wet and smelly job. But if you're willing to put in the hours, the pay can make up for the unpleasant conditions. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports on a "slime line" in Juneau, Alaska, as part of Morning Edition's series on "dirty work."

The Bush administration is expected to announce a plan for vaccinating certain Americans against smallpox. An advisory panel has recommended that at most, 500,000 health-care workers should be immunized. But many state and local public health officials don't think that's nearly enough to cope with a smallpox bioterrorism attack. NPR's Richard Knox reports for All Things Considered.

Every summer amateur astronomers around the country hold hundreds of "star parties," inviting the general public to gaze through telescopes at the night sky's wonders. At Stellafane, in rural Vermont, sky watchers have gathered since the 1920s. They'll be there again this weekend. So will Sky and Telescope magazine editor Kelly Beatty, who offers a commentary for Morning Edition.

Twenty-five years ago Friday, the world lost the king of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley. NPR's Joshua Levs reports on the enduring appeal of Elvis, both for those who remember the rock icon when he was alive and among a new, young generation of fans. NPR Online marks the anniversary with vintage NPR coverage, music cuts including "Annoying Elvis" music, and an Elvis trivia quiz.

For centuries, sugar has been the foundation of the Cuban economy, and a key part of the country's identity. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that Fidel Castro's government is drastically downsizing the sugar industry because of economic pressures, and transforming some of the old sugar mills into attractions for a more profitable industry: tourism.

The Latin jazz drummer has released more than 20 albums, including the 1999 Grammy winner, Latin Soul. Features in the series are produced by David Schulman and NPR's Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr.

Storyteller Mitch Myers tells the story of guy who made it his mission to shout out "Freebird!" at concerts.

Guest host Renee Montagne talks with NPR's Ketzel Levine about a prehistoric plant that's being threatened by wildfires in Oregon.

There are names for people responsible for firing other people. They're called "hatchet men" or "corporate executioners." Many companies hire people like firing consultant Howard McCain. McCain spends his days helping companies carry out the firing of employees. He says there is an art to dismissing someone.

Last week, more than 4,000 fire bosses mobilized 15,000 firefighters in the Western United States. So far, there have been enough managers to cover all major fires. But there is increasing concern about the dwindling supply of trained and experienced supervisors to direct and assist teams of firefighters. NPR's Howard Berkes reports for Morning Edition.

Sitting under glass in Yale University's Beinecke Library is a map faded to the point of near invisibility. It is the oldest known map depicting North America -- unless it is a fake. Scientists and historians have argued over the authenticity of the famous Vinland Map for a third of a century. Now two scientific papers are re-opening old wounds. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports for Morning Edition.

Communities around the country pass resolutions criticizing the Patriot Act. Attorney General John Ashcroft has urged Congress to expand the anti-terror law to allow the government to hold more terrorism suspects indefinitely, but critics say the increased powers threaten civil rights. Hear NPR's Juan Williams.

The Israeli army faces little resistance as it dismantles 10 uninhabited settlement outposts on the West Bank under the terms of the U.S.-backed "road map" to Mideast peace. But Jewish settlers vow to block the destruction of any populated outposts. Israeli officials say they will "proceed with the plan" and ignore the protests. Hear NPR's Linda Gradstein.

U.N. inspectors visit Iraq's main nuclear site for the first time since the U.S.-led invasion. Looters have ransacked the site, carting off materials hazardous to local health. It seems less likely that the site was robbed of material that could be useful to terrorists. NPR's Deborah Amos reports.

Commentator and cowboy poet Baxter Black has a poem on the struggle between a cowboy and a horse.

Alan Cheuse reviews Shadow Without a Name, by Ignacio Padilla, who is the cultural attache at the Mexican Embassy in London. Padilla tells a story of historical intrigue in 20th-century Europe over the time of the two world wars.

Head of the Village Vanguard, the oldest and most respected jazz club in New York, Lorraine Gordon's affinity for jazz was unprecedented.

The investigator of Nazi war crimes was presented with the Governor’s Medal of Freedom after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will help continue the award program.

Rabies deaths are extremely rare in the U.S., thanks to the effectiveness of the post-exposure prophylaxis treatment that exists. But the cost of those lifesaving shots can be extremely high.

Kelvin Bolton was arrested at a local homeless shelter, court records showed. He was being held Thursday on a $30,000 bond on third-degree felony charges of perjury and fraud.

At the first meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, scientists express frustration over restrictions the Bush administration has placed on the research. The strict limits have significantly slowed progress, they say. Hear NPR's Joe Palca.

Recent surveys show that many high school students don't understand the basics about money and the economy. It's estimated that fewer than a quarter of school-age children receive any financial education classes. NPR's Jack Speer reports.

The Iraqi National Congress, an exile group that provided the Bush administration with intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, defends the information it supplied as the search for banned weapons so far proves fruitless. U.S. and British officials have come under attack for allegedly twisting intelligence to make the case for war. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer and Hugo Young, columnist for the British newspaper The Guardian.