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Senators and outside experts testify before a Senate panel on the need to reform rules governing lobbying. A consensus appears to be developing around some areas of reform, such as gift giving and slowing the movement between Congress and the lobbying industry. But other issues are not so clear-cut.

That lighted, flashing floor where John Travolta strutted his stuff in the movie Saturday Night Fever is now the subject of a lawsuit almost as hot as the Bee Gees. Two businessmen are tangling over who owns this piece of disco history.

About one out of every 40 cars and trucks in the United States can now run on a commercial mix of gasoline and ethanol, mostly made from corn. And the federal government is backing the renewable fuel industry. But does ethanol really reduce dependence on fossil fuels?

President Ibrahim Rugova is mourned in Kosovo by ethnic Albanians he led and by European and U.S. officials who hailed him as a voice of moderation in the turbulent Balkans. Talks on the future of Kosovo have been delayed until February.

Ithaca College in upstate New York is sponsoring a contest for the best short film shot with a cell phone camera. Entries can be no longer than 30 seconds and must include music, dialogue or other audio.

As a hospice volunteer, listener Mary Cook shares in the grief of others. But it was her own loss that taught her how to heal. She believes that recovering from grief requires not a battle, but surrender.

Shortly before leaving office, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner ordered post-conviction reviews of thousands of old criminal files after DNA testing in 31 cases revealed that two men had been wrongly convicted decades ago. The move has re-ignited debate about large-scale review of long-settled cases.

This Sunday, two of the world's top solo explorers will attempt to do what no one has ever done: travel 620 miles on an unsupported mission to the North Pole in the total darkness of Arctic winter.

Mike Luckovich and Ann Telnaes discuss reactions to cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad, joined by Stephen Hess, co-author of Drawn and Quartered: The History of American Political Cartoons.

NPR's political editor, Ken Rudin, talks about Tony Snow being named the new White House press secretary, the New Orleans mayoral race and the politics surrounding oil prices.

Consumers are paying more than $3 a gallon for gas in many areas of the country. On Tuesday, President Bush announced a four-point plan to lower the cost of a fill-up. Guests discuss how gas prices are determined.

Massachusetts parents infuriated that their second graders were read King & King, a fairy tale about two gay princes, are suing the school and the teacher in federal court. The parents say schools are violating their religious freedom. But in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal, public school officials say they not only can talk about gay couples, they are required to.

A new National Academy of Sciences report finds that transportation accidents involving nuclear waste pose minimal risks. The academy recommends further study of scenarios involving long-duration fires or terrorist attack, and it points out another issue the government needs to address: public fear.

Fantasy Records releases a new collection of classic recordings from the 1950s and 1960s, called Jazz for Lovers. Musician and critic David Was reviews the collection, and finds some nice surprises.

Hurricane season officially begins June 1, and this coming Monday the National Hurricane Center will release its annual storm forecast. What goes on during months of preparation for the first storm season after Katrina?

The life of Renaissance astronomer Galileo Galilei has inspired a musical work. "The Starry Messenger," composed by Glenn McClure, debuts Saturday night in upstate New York. The project was inspired by Dava Sobel's book Galileo's Daughter.

Ninety percent of Netflix customers get their DVDs within a day of shipping. But a move by Netflix to thwart its own seamless system to save money on high-volume customers has landed the rental firm in court.

As a child, Jane Hamill thought Barbie was the ultimate in cool. Now a fashion designer in Chicago, Hamill realizes her belief in a doll was a belief in her own skills, creativity and ability to succeed.

In Florida, Hazel Haley has been teaching English at Lakeland High School since 1939. She's been teaching in the same classroom since 1952! She's retiring this year and the community is grateful for her long service. In some cases, she's taught three generations of the same family. Robin Sussingham of member station WUSF reports.

A choir in Oakland, Calif., which specializes in the freedom songs of apartheid-era South Africa celebrated an important anniversary this weekend. Lonny Shavelson visited the choir of the First Congregation Church, and reports on its history and its current mission.

The historic space was established as a dance hall in 1889, featuring a cabaret show that included the first cancan performance.

Melissa Block and Michele Norris read from listeners' letters and e-mails. Among this week's topics: our series on legal immigration, David Schaper's story on the good side of urban sprawl, and Michele Norris's piece about the 25th anniversary of the death of Bob Marley.

Experts confirm that a cluster of trees found by a scientist hiking near Pine Mountain, Ga., are in fact American chestnut trees. But researchers say they have no idea how the trees escaped a blight in the early 1900s, which experts thought had wiped out the entire U.S. population of the trees.

Michele Norris says she's had enough of chatty dolls, singing globes and anything else with a talking microchip. All those annoying playthings make her wonder: Why are toys so loud?

Although South Africa is making major strides towards democracy and against racism, Youth Radio reporter Fadia Williams says it's still hard for young people there to overcome some of her country's entrenched Apartheid-era attitudes.