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A new book argues that Motown was a step in the evolution of the American popular song, a tradition reaching back to songwriters like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter.

Considered by many the greatest living choreographer, Merce Cunningham's career began with Martha Graham and spans 60 years of innovations in dance and music. At 87, Cunningham is still creating new works and he remains on the leading edge of dance.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates spent three days in Iraq this week, meeting with senior military officials and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Saturday, he joins President Bush for further discussions of Iraq policy.

Two of France's most prestigious book awards have gone to American Jonathan Littell for his first serious novel. Written in French, Les Bienveillantes or The Kindly Ones, is in the form of a memoir by a former SS officer who leads a hidden life in a French town. The novel is a huge hit in France.

Famous writers and their drinks are inseparable, despite the price some paid for the vice. Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide delves into the drinking habits of America's top writers to reveal their favorite cocktails. Steve Inskeep talks with author Mark Bailey and illustrator Edward Hemingway, the great writer's grandson.

As Shanghai undergoes a radical facelift, tens of thousands of residents are forcibly displaced from their homes each year. Many say real-estate developers are conspiring with officials to seize property for little or no compensation.

The film Blood Diamond is about the violent underbelly of the international diamond trade. Writer Tom Zoellner's book The Heartless Stone chronicles how diamonds are mined in some of the world's poorest countries.

The military promises to help soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with emotional problems, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But an NPR investigation at one base in Colorado finds that soldiers aren't getting the services they need.

Head lice are one of the top reasons that kids miss school, yet there's no single, foolproof remedy. Many parents, and now professional salons, find themselves searching for louse eggs and removing them by hand. These nits are a nuisance, but no reason for kids to stay home, say leading medical experts.

A woman who claims she was forced to marry her cousin when she was 14 testified Tuesday at a preliminary hearing for polygamist leader Warren Jeffs. The court is trying to decide whether Jeffs should stand trial on rape charges.