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An eclectic range of influences is at the heart of Latin Alternative, a music created by young players who have been raised not only on their parents' music but also on rock, hip-hop and electronica. It represents a sonic shift away from regionalism and points to a new global Latin identity.

Clifford Odets, remembered as the defining American playwright of the 1930s, would have turned 100 this year. His works -- including Waiting for Lefty, Awake and Sing and Golden Boy brought social realism to the stage. Many companies around the country are staging his plays.

This year's Mardi Gras was necessary for New Orleanians to rouse themselves from their post-Katrina funk, says Crescent City resident Chris Rose. But now that the revelry has faded, residents must once again turn to the long, hard task of reclaiming their city, and their heritage.

The smaller-than-normal crowds at Mardi Gras this week symbolize the lingering impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans' economy. The city's hotels are struggling to recover, but a shortage of workers is hampering their comeback.

Saddam Hussein admits in court that he ordered the trial of 148 Shiite villagers who were later executed after a failed assassination attempt against him in 1982. He says he also ordered the razing of farmland in the village where the attempt on his life occurred, but insists his actions were not criminal.

One of New Orleans' best-known native sons, the piano professor Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, was back in town for Mardi Gras this week. In a tour of devastated neighborhoods, he expresses fear that the city's unique grassroots culture has been uprooted.

Under intense security, President Bush arrives in Pakistan, where he is greeted with violent protests. Bush will meet with President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday. The newly announced nuclear agreement with Pakistan's neighbor, India, could affect Musharraf's cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Brokeback Mountain a shoo-in for this year's best-picture award at the Oscars? Not so fast, says Kim Masters, who points out that Crash has a decent shot at a come-from-behind victory.

The human spine is an elegant piece of architecture. But by middle age most people have spinal degeneration. Eight out of 10 people will suffer back pain at some point.

The Army announces a criminal investigation into the death of Pat Tillman, who died fighting in Afghanistan nearly two years ago. Tillman gave up an NFL football career to join the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks. The Army at first said Tillman was killed by enemy fire during a firefight -- then later determined he had been accidentally shot by other U.S. soldiers.

On Christmas Eve, 1945, the Sodder family of Fayetteville, W.V., lost five children in a fire. Strange events that night and afterward fueled speculation, which continues to this day, that the children may have been kidnapped or murdered.

Many American soldiers spending the holiday on duty in Mosul are watching with detachment as the war in Iraq is debated back home. But some say they are a bit frustrated by calls for a swift pullout of troops.

A gunman murders a pro-rebel member of the Sri Lankan parliament in a church during midnight Mass. The attack is the latest in a string of incidents that has heightened tensions between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels, and threatens to revive a civil war.

The story of how Sam Cooke became a musical success story is the subject of a new book by music historian Peter Guralnick, Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. In his account, Guralnick details how Cooke struggled against a music industry that often devalued black artists.

Blue Highway's CD Marbletown is topping the bluegrass charts and has been nominated for a Grammy. Founder Tim Stafford and dobro player Rob Ickes tell Debbie Elliott what's behind the group's music.

In his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, President Bush highlighted a strong domestic economy, cited progress in democratizing Iraq and claimed success in fighting terrorism. John Ydstie examines some of the assertions put forth in the speech.

Katherine Bright, manager of Amazon World Zoo Park on the Isle of Wight, discusses the case of Toga, the zoo's baby South African Jackass Penguin. Toga was taken from the zoo Sunday morning and is still unaccounted for. The zoo has offered a 1,000-pound reward for the bird.

Nobody won a big race across the desert in Nevada. To be more precise, a robot won that race. A Volkswagen controlled by computer, with nobody behind the wheel, finished first in a course across the desert. The Pentagon sponsored the 132-mile race to encourage new technology. The winning robot is called Stanley. And the Pentagon pays a $2 million prize to the people who created him -- or rather "it."

DNA tools continue to improve in their ability to determine details of a person's genetic make-up. NPR's Robert Siegel and Joe Palca survey the latest developments in the field.

For the eleventh straight night, France has been rocked by riots following the deaths of two teenagers of Mauritanian and Tunisian origin. Monday, French police reported the death of a man who was beaten up in a Paris suburb on Friday. President Jacques Chirac has vowed to punish those responsible.

For the first time in 40 years, Medicare recipients can now get help in paying for prescription drugs. But with dozens of private insurers offering their own version of the new Medicare drug plan, analysts say the only sure bet for those eligible is that they'll be confused about which plan to choose. To help make sense of the options, science editor Joe Neel answers some of the key questions.

Michele Norris talks to Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) about the compromise amendment he hammered out with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Levin is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Ben Bernanke, President Bush's pick to succeed Alan Greenspan as Federal Reserve chairman, tells lawmakers he would seek to maintain continuity with Greenspan's policies. Bernanke also said he would not pursue a specific inflation target without building consensus for change in the existing policy.

Jeff Hawkins created the PalmPilot and Treo smart phone. His new company, Numenta, is developing a type of computer memory system modeled after the human neocortex, what he calls the "the big wrinkly thing" at the top of the brain. He's also the co-author of the book On Intelligence, which details his vision of how the brain processes information.

Advances in body armor and medicine are helping more American soldiers survive battle wounds. But disabled veterans face many obstacles when they return home. Ed Gordon speaks with retired Staff Sgt. Eugene Simpson Jr., who was badly injured in Iraq last year, and Joseph Violante, national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans.