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Bob Garfield, co-host of NPR's On the Media reports on permission specialists -- the people who get the suspects in the "cops" type shows to sign on the dotted line to allow their stories and images to be used in these "reality shows." There are lots of reasons why few suspects hesitate to sign -- some hope it will help their case, some just want that 20 seconds of fame before being put away for 20 years, and some, they say, are just stupid.

NPR's Guy Raz reports that this past weekend some ten thousand European fans converged on Berlin for a country/western music festival. Germans -- long fascinated with the American West -- are among Europe's most avid devotees of country/western. {The festival this weekend featured German language bands, line dancing, and performers in Indian headdresses attempting to re-create Native American dances.}

The latest film from Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu follows multiple story lines. The film reveals the connections between its multicultural cast of characters -- and, as the title suggests, the difficulties they have in communicating.

As the Bush administration works to line up support for a U.N. resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, France urges three African Security Council members to reject the resolution. Meanwhile, the number of U.S. troops in Kuwait climbs to 160,000. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara and NPR's Mike Shuster.

In the early 1900s, Henry Ford introduced America to the Model T and the assembly line. The innovations Ford started helped reshape American society. Now, the Ford Motor Co.'s future depends on the leadership of another Ford family member, Bill Ford Jr. NPR's John Ydstie reports.

Airport security tightens again after news of an alleged plot in Britain last week, and some security experts say that passengers will have to learn to live with long lines and limited carry-ons. How will this affect air travel and airport-based businesses?

The terrorist plot that British officials thwarted this morning has resulted in long lines, flight delays and new restrictions on carry-on luggage. Guests examine the impact of the terrorist plot on air travel.

The Homeland Security Department and city officials around the United States increase the terror alert level to Orange on mass-transit lines in light of transit bombings in London. Officials are encouraging commuters to travel as usual, while keeping an eye out for suspicious activity.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case involving Grokster, a company that makes a file-sharing program, to determine whether these programs are illegal. Entertainment companies say file sharing violates copyright laws. But the corporate giants of Silicon Valley are lining up to support Grokster.

The French newspaper l'Equipe has reported it has definitive evidence of illegal substance use by cyclist Lance Armstrong during the 1999 Tour de France. Talk of the Nation looks at the latest in a long line of drug allegations that Armstrong has steadfastly denied.

Iran holds a runoff presidential election Friday. Voters will choose between Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who is casting himself as a reformer, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the younger, hard-line mayor of Tehran.

"Solidarity Forever," the unofficial anthem of the American labor movement, was written in 1915 by a little-known poet named Ralph Chaplin and set to the civil war tune "John Brown's Body." Since then, it has been sung in union halls, jails and on picket lines across the country.

Paddy Keenan is an Irish musician descended from a long line of traveling pipers. In the 1970s, Keenan cofounded the influential group the Bothy Band. The group added driving rhythms to traditional Irish music. On the CD The Long Grazing Acre, Keenan plays the Irish bagpipes. Keenan discusses his music with NPR's Melissa Block.

Bill Clark is a consultant to the show NYPD Blue. Clark is a former New York City homicide detective. Clark and producer David Milch discuss how many of the story lines for the show come from cases Clark worked on. This interview was originally broadcast on Nov. 1, 1995.

American speed skating has traditionally been dominated by athletes from the upper Midwest, skaters with hair and skin as pale as the frozen lakes and rinks they raced on as kids. But that has all changed due to the popularity of in-line skating in warmer climates, NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports for Morning Edition.

Attorney General John Ashcroft took office amid controversy over his hard-line social conservatism. But events have conspired to give him unusual public exposure -- and popularity. NPR's Mara Liasson reports for All Things Considered. Also, in a Web-exclusive analysis, NPR Washington Editor Ron Elving puts Ashcroft's remarkable tenure into a historical context.

A massive car bomb rips through a police station in Iskandariya, a town south of Baghdad, killing at least 50 people and wounding dozens of others, according to hospital officials. U.S. authorities say the victims were all Iraqis, including civilians waiting in line to apply for jobs. Hear NPR's Emily Harris.

Fifty years ago this year, The Buccaneers sang the original "Roto-Rooter" jingle. NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Jerry Richards about his history with the singing group. Richard tells us he arranged the tune, which is one of the most memorable radio jungles known to man. It is for a service that unclogs sewer lines.

Fifty years ago, the first consumer color TV sets started rolling off the assembly line. It took more than a decade for color television to become a household fixture. NPR's Lynn Neary reports on the early days of color TV, and the way today's new technology is similarly transforming home entertainment.

The Internet has given unprecedented access to information, but where do we draw the line? The Web site Postyourtest.com invites users to share old college exams online. Is it cheating — or democracy?

A previously unreleased song by Nick Drake has been discovered decades after the drug-overdose death of the critically lauded singer-songwriter. The song, 'Tow the Line,' is from Made to Love Magic, a new compilation of Drake outtakes and remixes, set to be released in the U.S. in late June. Critic Tom Moon has a review.

As recreational runners continue to cross the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday, Here & Now takes a look back at the events that started at 2:49 p.m.

The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department took unprecedented steps over the weekend to boost confidence in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Among other things, they increased a government line of credit available to either company. How are the markets reacting?

A Florida-based company featured on the television show "Project Runway All Stars" is kicking off a new line of leather accessories as part of an effort...

Novelist Alan Hollinghurst is awarded this year's prestigious Man Booker Prize. Hollinghurst won for The Line of Beauty, the first gay-themed novel to win the British literary honor in its 36-year history. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne and Rebecca Jones of the BBC.