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A limited number of alligator hunters could get special permits that would expand where they can hunt, under a proposal that state wildlife officials are considering.

Consumers who were enrolled fraudulently could receive unexpected tax bills — the first and possibly only clue they were a victim of fraud. Getting help may become difficult amid federal layoffs.

There have been a lot of different Sherlock Holmes adaptations over the years, but Lucy Liu is probably the first woman to play Dr. Watson. In the CBS drama Elementary, Holmes and Watson solve crimes in modern-day New York City. Liu says a female Watson is a "wonderful concept."

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Nebraska state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, a Democrat, about her weeks-long filibuster over a bill she says is "legislating hate."

In a new book, biographer David Nasaw profiles the father of Robert, John and Teddy, and unpacks the elder Kennedy's influence on his children. "He told them over and over again, 'I'm making all this money so you don't have to make money, so that you can go into public service,' " Nasaw says.

The Land Back Movement is an effort by native Americans to reclaim lost land. Two reporters take a look at where it's worked and where it hasn't at reservations in Minnesota.

Young, male capuchin monkeys have started kidnapping the babies of nearby howler monkeys. Why? Maybe boredom.

When existing services failed to meet the needs of Reena Aurora and her Sikh community, she set out to establish the mental health services herself.

R.O. Kwon's new novel explores the attractions — and dangers — of faith, against the overheated, over-the-top backdrop of an upper-crust college somewhere in the Northeastern United States.

Caleb Roehrig's new YA thriller follows socialite-turned-cat burglar Margo Manning and her crew of kickboxing drag queens as they take on one last multimillion-dollar heist — and its consequences.

NPR's Phillip Davis reports Florida's race for Governor is a tight one. Democrats vowed from the minute Al Gore lost the presidency that Jeb Bush would pay for it. They are hoping the residual anger from 2000, plus the overcrowding of school classes, will propel Bill McBride to victory. But Governor Bush is running a tight campaign, with far more money in the bank than his opponent.

NPR's Brian Naylor reports that Congress is expected to approve today a measure that would send some 280-thousand furloughed federal employees back to work next week. They and another 500-thousand federal workers who have been on the job without pay since December 16 would receive back wages. However, most of the agencies they work for would remain closed. The plan was agreed to by House Republicans who last night rejected a broader back-to-work proposals. The plan would also fund for the rest of the fiscal year other programs, including Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

Pakistan demands exemption from a U.S. registration program for non-citizens, and Indonesia tells its citizens not to travel here. The program requires visiting males from 25 Middle Eastern and Asian countries to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed as an anti-terror measure. The Justice Department says the effort is starting to pay off. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports.

Washington-area developer Theodore Lerner will become the owner of the Washington Nationals baseball team, says Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. Lerner will pay around $450 million for the team once known as the Montreal Expos.

Some of the world's poorest countries in Africa and Latin America owe billions of dollars to the World Bank and IMF. For some nations, the debt is so large that paying it off seems impossible. Over the past few years, a movement has been growing calling for the large financial institutions to forgive debt to Third World countries. A new CD called Drop the Debt is one such effort. African and Latin American artists, many of whom are stars in their own countries, contributed songs about debt to the CD. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.

Would you sample a grape in the produce aisle without paying for it? Would you notify the cashier if she undercharged you? NPR's Susan Stamberg poses these and similar questions to shoppers at a supermarket. She then talks to Tom Morris, a self-described "public philosopher," about supermarket ethics, and ethics in the wider world. Morris, a former philosophy professor at Notre Dame, explains why he thinks taking even one grape in the supermarket "makes you a thief."

Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's remains will be taken from the Capitol Rotunda -- where tens of thousands have come to pay last respects -- to the Washington National Cathedral for a national funeral service Friday morning. The list of dignitaries attending includes former presidents Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

Three Marines were punished for abusing an Iraqi prisoner of war last May, just weeks after the end of major combat operations, according to a Marine investigation report obtained by NPR. All three received confinement, a reduction in rank and forfeiture of pay. In a separate case, a Marine reservist and a camp commander face courts-martial in the June 2003 death of a Baath Party official. NPR's Libby Lewis reports.

ABC lost a libel suit today and has been ordered to pay ten million dollars in damages to a Florida banker. Alan Levan, chief executive of the Fort Lauderdale-based S&L, BankAtlantic, brought the suit after a 1991 segment on ABC's newsmagazine, "20/20" alleged he had engaged in fraudulent business transactions involving a real estate for bonds swap. Levan was later convicted in federal court, but a fraud verdict was erased in a settlement. His suit against ABC said the network had depicted him as a swindler and severely damaged his reputation. NPR's Brooke Gladstone reports.

Taking advantage of low interest rates and service costs, there was a sharp upswing of mortgage refinancing among U.S. homeowners in 2002. Many took cash out of their properties to pay off credit card debt, remodel their homes or put money in the bank. NPR's Jack Speer reports on whether the trend has run its course.

Two drug companies that sold chemotherapy medications to a pharmacist who illegally diluted them reach a settlement with his customers. Eli Lilly and Bristol-Myers Squibb agree to pay $71 million to 360 plaintiffs, who claim sales records should have exposed the drug tampering scheme years before the FBI uncovered it. Frank Morris of member station KCUR reports.

The Texas school systems have been in state court because they feel that the way Texas finances its schools violates the state constitution. To meet state testing standards and educate more and more children of immigrants, Texas school districts have had to raise property taxes to make ends meet. They argue this violates the state constitution and that the state should pay more of the costs of education. Michael May of member station KUT in Austin reports.

Sure it's seasonal work, but the pay can be pretty good for a mall Santa, especially if the beard is real. Some of the men who play the role for children at stores even take their month-long job so seriously that they give it year-round attention. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

The devastation of hurricane Andrew in 1992 put a number of insurance companies in the red. To prevent further financial wreckage, insurers have revamped the industry so that they pay less of the total cost of damage wrought by tropical storms. The overhaul has placed a larger burden on homeowners and may have big implications for people struggling in the aftermath of the two latest hurricanes, Charley and Frances.

Critic Tom Moon reviews the new CD by Macy Gray. He includes Gray among a group of "neo-soul" artists — contemporary R&B musicians that have hit pay dirt by consciously emulating the sounds and songwriting devices of classic soul. The Trouble With Being Myself, evokes the sounds of Chaka Khan, Al Green and the Jackson Five.