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When an old master's painting fetches tens of millions on the auction block, it makes headlines around the world. But at any given time, a handful of artworks are unavailable at any price. NPR's Renee Montagne talks to Kelly Devine Thomas of ARTnews magazine about the "most wanted" works of art.

Over the past five years, Indonesia has weathered terrorism, political upheaval and economic crisis. At the same time, the world’s largest Muslim nation has gone through a kind of artistic Renaissance. NPR's Rick Karr reports on the dynamic art scene in the island nation. View a photo gallery of Indonesian art.

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Andrew Bolton, curator of a show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art called "Bravehearts: Men and Skirts." The exhibit reveals how skirts came to thought of as feminine attire, since men have worn skirts throughout history -- and many still do.

In his latest book, Gore Vidal takes readers behind the scenes as America's founding fathers fought and worked to create a new country. In an interview with NPR's Bob Edwards, Vidal discusses Inventing a Nation, the historical writer's work about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Hear the extended interview and read an excerpt from the book.

A controversial legal shield called a "third-party release" is hidden inside some high profile bankruptcies, like Purdue Pharma and the Weinstein Company. Some claim they deny victims justice.

An SEIU report, which analyzes 2019 data, accuses HCA of Medicare fraud in the form of overpayments for services that were not needed.

The changes are part of updated guidelines designed to improve safety and security on TikTok. It will also pull content that promotes disordered eating and restrict content related to dangerous acts.

Hollywood studio executives chafe under new rules for the Academy Awards that bar them from sending free copies of their movies to other awards organizations. Opponents say the rules, combined with a shortened voting season, will prevent smaller-budget films from receiving recognition. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

Facing mounting protests and a threatened advertiser boycott, CBS won't broadcast the mini-series The Reagans, based on the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan during Ronald Reagan's presidency. The video biography has drawn fire from both Republicans and Democrats over its authenticity. Kim Masters reports.

Actor Russell Crowe is in command of the screen and the sea this weekend. Crowe stars in the new Peter Weir film Master and Commander. The movie is based on the novels of Patrick O'Brian. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan offers a review.

The fall TV season has been so lackluster that even the programming chief of NBC admits that new shows leave much to be desired. Audiences are tuning out -- especially young men -- and the networks have yet to offer any shows to lure them back. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

Director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu of Mexico made a name for himself last year with the film Amores Perros. That film used an unorthodox narrative structure to include multiple vantage points. Inarritu's new picture, 21 Grams, continues in that vein, weaving scenes from different storylines to tell a story of intersecting lives. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.

From taboos against tomatoes to blessings from bread, the history of food is filled with associations between meals and morality. Author Stewart Lee Allen chronicles sinful treats of the past in his new book, In the Devil's Garden. NPR's Susan Stamberg talks with Allen in the conclusion to her series on food.

Kojak sucked on a lollipop, Columbo sported a rumpled raincoat. But Monk, the current rage in TV crime solvers, is an altogether different character -- he's an obsessive-compulsive detective who's afraid of dirt, crowded rooms and milk. On Morning Edition, NPR's Renee Montagne gets into the mind of the quirky character with the show's star, Tony Shalhoub.

Cowboy poets, writers, musicians descended on the small town of Elko, Nev., for the 20th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Who better to report on the sights and sounds of it all than Morning Edition's own resident cowboy poet, Baxter Black. Hear several poems and songs from the gathering.

With her 1979 hit "Chuck E's in Love," Rickie Lee Jones established herself as a musician with a compelling voice and a penchant for storytelling. For Intersections, a Morning Edition series on artists and their inspirations, the singer talks about the varied sources that informed her lyrical style. Hear songs from her latest CD.

The West Ham United player has been fined for his actions and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched an investigation into the matter.

Singer Beyonce Knowles wins five awards at the 46th annual Grammys Sunday for her first solo CD, Dangerously in Love. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, from hip-hop duo OutKast, wins album of the year, while Coldplay takes home the record of the year award. Hear NPR's Mandalit del Barco.

Billy May, a jazz trumpeter and composer best known for his critically acclaimed arrangements for Frank Sinatra, died last week at age 87. In the 1940s and '50s, May was one of the most sought-after arrangers for big-band music and American standards, working with stars such as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. NPR's Bob Edwards has a remembrance.

Actress Uta Hagen died Wednesday at her home in Manhattan at age 84. Hagen gained her biggest Broadway success in the early 1960s with her portrayal of Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. She also taught dozens of actors how to ply their trade. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

When the Beatles broke up in 1970, the group had one final album in the can. Let It Be was a collection of live studio performances that was marinated with orchestra, chorus and overdubs by producer Phil Spector. Now, EMI has released a new "back to the roots" version of the album, stripping away Spector's add ons. Music critic Tim Page has a review of Let It Be... Naked.

The documentary, Bringing Down a Dictator, tells the story of the downfall of Yugoslavia's former president Slobodan Milosevic. Hear executive producer Peter Ackerman.

A new feature film about serial killer Aileen Wuornos stars Charlize Theron as the rough-and-tumble drifter who was executed in Florida in 2002. Critics are praising Theron's portrayal of a woman whose story has inspired at least two documentary films in addition to a Hollywood studio picture. NPR's David D'Arcy reports.

A genre of fiction known variously as "street lit," "ghetto lit," "urban lit" or "hip-hop lit" has begun registering impressive sales, catching the attention of the publishing industry. Previously sold as typewritten photocopies on street corners, these pulp-fiction books now appear in slick paperbacks available in bookstores and online. Karen Michel reports.

Author James McGrath Morris's latest book, Rose Man of Sing Sing relays the true story of Charles Chapin, a tabloid newspaper editor of the early 20th century. Chapin was a pioneer of the tabloid style of journalism who ended up in prison after killing his wife. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and Morris.