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To mark the 100th anniversary of composer Aram Khachaturian's birth, NPR's Tom Huizenga profiles the man behind "Sabre Dance".

Temperatures are reaching into the 90s in Maine as the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. bakes in unseasonably hot weather.

In her fourth collection, poet Bianca Stone unites vulnerability and humor to tackle the heavy question of what it means to be alive.

On this ninth annual observance, the question is raised: Has success spoiled International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Columnist Dave Barry, the holiday's single most important booster, says he's fed up with the holiday -- sort of. He tells NPR's Robert Siegel that people need to expand their pirate vocabulary beyond "Arrrr."

Anthony Fauci walks through what he predicts the BA.2 subvariant will do in the U.S., whether we will need boosters every four months and his advice for masking at indoor events.

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the work of Chicago-based artist Milton Coronado, who paints murals that memorialize people killed by gun violence.

Poet Joy Ladin still thinks of an act of generosity by audio producer Debbie Blicher, who went out of her way to help Joy when she herself was suffering.

Bob Mondello says X-Men: Days of Future Past is awesomely urgent and utterly forgettable all at once, but it'll leave you bouncing with excitement — if you can keep the multiple mutants straight.

Producer Giles Martin shares the remarkable stories, early demos, outtakes and stunning new mixes from the just-released deluxe version of the album.

Laura Holmes Haddad lost her hair when she was undergoing chemo. She said she was self-conscious until an X-ray tech offered a new perspective on baldness and what is considered beautiful.

From caroling to consumption, wassail is an old English tradition for the holiday season. A favorite of Charles Dickens and the subject of many carols, wassail is actually synonymous with drinking "to your health." But figuring out exactly what you are drinking is another matter.

For journalists covering war, the story is what is happening on the ground. There often isn't time to reflect on the bigger picture. Author John Baxter reflects on one book that does look back on a war: reporter Michael Herr's Dispatches, a memoir of Herr's time in Vietnam.

The grand lady and great dame Kitty Carlisle Hart passed away peacefully after a short illness this past week. The singer-actress had lived 96 fabulous years.

American journalist Roxana Saberi was released Monday from an Iranian prison, where she had been held since January. Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, where Saberi grew up, says the Iranian government has rectified a "terrible miscarriage of justice," and officials said she is now free to leave the country.

Workers at Arlington National Cemetery will finish removing a monument to Confederate soldiers from the grounds Friday, drawing mixed reactions.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is making a weekend campaign swing through South Carolina. The state's January presidential primary will be the first held in the southern U.S. and could provide a key test of Obama's viability with black voters.

The frontier is long gone, but the American West clings to some of its roots. Morning Edition presents a series of profiles of people who are inspired by the region's landscape, resources and culture. The series concludes with Montana writers Judy Blunt and Rick Bass. NPR Online offers excerpts of their works.

NPR's Joanne Silberner reports on a 1946 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Mexico. Families traveled south from the U.S. to help stop the epidemic. Now in their 70's and 80's, they still get together each year to remember the work that took them to some of the most remote places in Mexico.

Depending on which proud relative you talk to, the hamburger was invented at a state fair, a world's fair or a lunch counter. But whoever gave the burger its start probably never imagined how popular it would become. Monday on Morning Edition, NPR's Pam Fessler has the juicy story as part of the Present at the Creation series.

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.

As the war in Iraq winds down, a private research group begins efforts to count the number of Iraqi civilians killed in the conflict. But the Center for Defense Information says the task is complicated by ongoing fighting, and by the lack of an official government in Iraq. Hear Mark Burgess of the Center for Defense Information.

NPR's Mike Shuster in Nasiriyah reports on today's talks between U.S. officials and Iraqi political figures on the prospects of establishing an interim authority now that Saddam Hussein's regime has been ousted. No firm decisions were expected from this opening round of talks. The participants will gather again in about 10 days.

Some lawyers and economists estimate that Iraq's foreign debt tops $100 billion. Some economists say much of the debt should be forgiven so Iraqis can rebuild their nation all the faster. But creditor-nations likely would balk at sweeping debt forgiveness. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

Learning how to play a musical instrument isn't just for kids anymore. An organization called New Horizons has helped establish over 100 bands and orchestras for older players in the U.S. and Canada over the past 15 years. Many of the group's members are either complete novices, or haven't played in decades.

From ballet to burlesque, women who weigh as much as 300 pounds are taking to the live stage on both coasts. These plus-size dance troupes are part of an organization called Big Moves. Their motto? "Because every body can dance." Fawnee Evnochides of member station KALW has this report.