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NPR's Doyenne of Dirt, Ketzel Levine, reports on the American daffodils that have been muscling in on the garden that once belonged to English poet William Wordsworth.

Republican senators fall well short of the votes needed to keep alive a proposal to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska. Thursday's vote all but assures that ANWR oil exploration won't be a part of the energy bill sent to President Bush. View a map of the area and a photo gallery of some wild ANWR inhabitants.

Most of America's millions of old computers are shipped to Asia, where rural villagers strip and sell the scrap metal and plastic. The leftover waste -- often toxic -- is piled up around houses and rivers. Environmentalists are crying foul. For Weekend All Things Considered, NPR's Allison Aubrey reports. (5:15)

Ready to deploy on dangerous missions with just a few hours' notice, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit represents the Pentagon's "leaning forward" strategy in dealing with terrorists worldwide. There's a new sense of urgency as the unit trains at Camp Lejeune, N.C. NPR's David Molpus reports for Morning Edition.

Republicans say it's now more important than ever to secure the nation's oil supply by opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil development. Opponents counter there's still no evidence that the wildlife refuge contains more than a few months' supply of oil. (4:01)

NPR's Mike Shuster reports on the latest events in the Middle East. Secretary of State Colin Powell has been unable to arrange a ceasefire between Israelis and Palestinians. Powell met with Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat for the first time on Sunday. He also had a second meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He now flies to Lebanon and Syria to try to resolve tensions on Israel's northern border.

A majority of likely voters favors the idea of allowing people to invest some of their Social Security taxes in the stock market, according to the results of a bipartisan survey. That surprising result is part of a poll on American attitudes toward retirement security -- the first of several surveys to be conducted for NPR this year by two private polling outfits, one Republican, one Democrat. Mara Liasson reports for Morning Edition.

The Gorillaz' debut album sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and the group was nominated for MTV awards, Brit awards, even a Grammy. Their recent tour sold out premier venues in North America. Not bad for a bunch of cartoon characters. NPR's Susan Stone goes behind the curtain, Tuesday on All Things Considered.

Just hours after John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln, the actor showed up at the doorstep of Dr. Samuel Mudd, seeking help for his broken leg. Soon after, Dr. Mudd was sentenced to life in jail. To this day, his family is fighting to clear Mudds name. Cindy Johnston reports.

NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports on a new study saying that the herbal remedy St. John's Wort is not effective against serious depression. (3:30)

The Pope meets with American Cardinals today to discuss how to handle the current pedophilia scandal threatening the church here in the U.S. NPR's Tovia Smith examines why the summit is taking place now.

Medicaid consumes the second largest share of state money, and its rapidly rising costs are swamping state budgets. Without the federal government's intervention, states say they're heading for a health care catastrophe. NPR's David Molpus reports for Morning Edition and NPR's Julie Rovner reports for All Things Considered.

Alanis Morissette knows people either love her or hate her. And she wants them to know that despite her reputation, she doesn't necessarily hate men. On Morning Edition, NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports on Morissette and her new CD.

As part of his continuing series of stories from Roosevelt High School in Seattle, NPR's Robert Smith follows several Roosevelt students as they build a small robot and enter it in a national competition. While learning about technology, the students also learned something about teamwork.

Thousands of Inca mummies have been found beneath a dusty shantytown in Peru. The mummy bundles -- containing several individuals each along with food, tools and jewels for the afterlife -- are providing archaeologists with amazing stories about Inca culture. For All Things Considered, NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.

Republicans say it's now more important than ever to secure the nation's oil supply by opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil development. Opponents counter there's still no evidence that the wildlife refuge contains more than a few months' supply of oil. For All Things Considered, Elizabeth Arnold reports.

Wilco's new album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot takes the erstwhile alt-country band even further from its roots. Frontman Jeff Tweedy talks with John Ydstie on All Things Considered. And Meredith Ochs reviews a new anthology of music from Tweedy's old band, the legendary Uncle Tupelo. (8:15) The CD is on Nonesuch Records. See http://www.wilcoworld.net/.

Americans love to kick up their heels and relax in their easy chairs. They have two cousins -- both named Ed -- to thank for that sedentary pleasure called the La-Z-Boy recliner. Cindy Carpien reports on the genesis of the modern reclining chair for Morning Edition as part of NPR's Present at the Creation series.

Mayor Joseph Riley of Charleston, S.C., has a vision of city executives as urban planners, and not just political leaders. All Things Considered host Robert Siegel profiles Riley and the Mayors' Institute on City Design. It's a nationwide forum on how to transform blighted areas and make cities more livable.

In part 2 of NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg's exclusive interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court justice talks about her life both on and off the court.

Fifteen years ago when "Igor" was captured, he was the last California condor flying free. Now, the endangered species' numbers have tripled and the bird is returning to his native habitat. This time, he won't be flying alone.

Buster Brown, the mischievous little rich kid with a blond pageboy haircut, and his dog Tige became stars of the Sunday comics a century ago. Long after they left the funny pages, the two retained their fame in a new role -- selling shoes. As part of the Present at the Creation series, NPR's Elizabeth Blair has the story on Morning Edition.

A Midwest railroad plans the largest U.S. railroad expansion project in more than a century. But ranchers, Native Americans and environmentalists are trying to stop the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad proposal dead in its tracks. NPR's Cheryl Corley has the story Sunday on Weekend All Things Considered.

The Pentagon says environmental laws cripple its ability to train soldiers. But in North Carolina, the Army and environmentalists have come up with a novel solution that benefits both soldiers and woodpeckers. For Morning Edition, NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.

Chava Alberstein, one of Israel's most popular musicians, is a peace activist who has opposed her country's policies on the Palestinians. She says artists should "criticize governments whenever they can." On Morning Edition, Alberstein discusses her songs and what it's like to be an Israeli in times of tumult.