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While the American press has covered violent protests over the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in European papers, most have declined to publish the cartoons.

Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s new PBS miniseries African American Lives takes an in-depth look at his own family tree, along with the histories of such luminaries as Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Mae Jemison and Bishop T.D. Jakes. He talks to Robert Siegel with about the project.

Microsoft and Yahoo announce a deal that will allow users of one instant messaging service to communicate with the other. While the technology existed to facilitate that inter-communication, it was not offered until now.

Vivian Malone Jones, the first African-American student to graduate from the University of Alabama, has died at age 63. Malone was one of the students Alabama Gov. George Wallace tried to block from entering the university in 1963.

After lobbyist Jack Abramoff's guilty plea, lawmakers in Washington -- especially Republicans -- are extremely nervous. NPR's Mara Liasson looks at whether the GOP sees this as a crime of individuals or the wrongdoings seriously affect the fortunes of the entire party.

Missouri Republican Sen. Jim Talent, running for re-election his fall, has infuriated supporters by taking his name off a bill to ban cloning. Anti-abortion organizations are fighting an amendment that would protect stem-cell research from being criminalized.

A new report concludes that current laws and regulations aren't adequate to guard against potential environmental and health hazards from the tiny new products produced by nanotechnology.

Birgit Nilsson, who is often described as the greatest Wagnerian soprano of the post-World War II era, has died at the age of 87. Her family in Sweden is keeping private the cause and exact date of her death.

Composer Tan Dun grew up in Mao's China. As a boy, he saw his parents sent away for so-called "re-education." He describes his musical coming of age under China's Cultural Revolution.

Steve Inskeep talks to USA Today's Christine Brennan about the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis and who might make the U.S. Olympic team. Top skater Michelle Kwan could not compete this year, due to an injury.

Overcoming a slow start, Shani Davis used a powerful finish to win the 1,000-meter men's speedskating competition. He became the first African American to win an individual Olympic gold medal in the Winter Games.

Virginia did not execute an innocent man in 1992, DNA test results released Thursday show. Gov. Mark Warner had ordered new tests in the case of Roger Keith Coleman, who went to the execution chamber maintaining his innocence. Virginia is the first state to conduct post-execution DNA tests.

The Army publication Military Review has published a provocative essay by a respected British military officer that is highly critical of the U.S. Army's performance in Iraq. The officer writes that the U.S. Army is ill prepared to cope with an insurgency and that its actions actually have fueled the insurgency in Iraq.

Foreign ministers from Germany, Great Britain and France meet in Berlin and decide to ask the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council. The United Nations could impose sanctions on Iran for reactivating its nuclear program earlier this week.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Mayor Byron Brown as the investigation gets underway into Saturday's mass shooting. At least 10 people were killed.

A bull terrier named Rocky Top's Sundance Kid (aka "Rufus") takes top prize Tuesday night at the Westminster Dog Show in New York. David Frei, director of communications at the Westminster Kennel Club, and Kathy Kirk, Rufus' handler, talk to Robert Siegel about this year's Super Bowl of dog shows.

In 1943, the government promised to build a highway through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- in part to provide access to some old cemeteries there. But the highway was never finished, and there's disagreement about whether it should be now.

AIDS adds to an orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet concerns from trafficking to cultural differences make it hard for outsiders to adopt. The story of two children in Nigeria illustrates the issue.

Representatives from Yahoo, Microsoft, Google and Cisco Systems testified on Capitol Hill Wednesday about their business practices in China. A panel of human rights activists also appeared, raising concerns about each of the companies' roles in helping the Chinese government censor and monitor the Internet.

Cabaret singer Maude Maggart has a show biz pedigree — her grandparents performed together in a swing band in the 1930s and '40s, her parents met in the original cast of the Broadway musical Applause and her little sister is pop star Fiona Apple. Her shows and albums have been earning rave reviews.

Sports columnist Geoff Calkins provides an Olympic update and talks about relative unknowns who are pushing some very big names off the Olympic stage in Turin.

Steven Erlanger, New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief, talks with Robert Siegel about claims that the United States and Israel are trying to sabotage the political success of newly elected Hamas officials in the Palestinian government. The U.S. government says it has no such plan to destabilize Hamas.

First responders at the Biloxi police department are struggling with emotional distress of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. They are experiencing flashbacks, waking up from nightmares and crying for no apparent reason. In the third installment of a four-part series on mental health after the storm, Alix Spiegel spoke with some of the officers who still struggle with the trauma of the storm.

The French band Nouvelle Vague takes classic New Wave singles from the '80s and adds a Brazilian twist — courtesy of the other "new wave": bossa nova. What began as a project between producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux has expanded to include the efforts of eight female singers, each with their own style.

The Iraqi government announces an investigation into the abuse and torture of more than 170 prisoners held at a Ministry of Interior detention center in Baghdad. Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said one of his top deputies has been appointed to conduct the probe.