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As the video rental store closes its last doors, Weekend Edition takes a look at other once-ubiquitous things that have disappeared, or are well on their way.

It was once impossible to imagine Germany without Jews. You only have to look at the Yiddish language to have a sense how richly the Jewish experience was integrated in the cultural life of Germany. That ended in the most vicious and heinous manner, 75 years ago Saturday, in what became known as Kristallnacht — "The Night of Broken Glass." The broken glass was from Jewish homes and buildings, and came to symbolize shattered Jewish lives. Some also consider it the start of the Holocaust. Back in 1988, NPR reporter Ketzel Levine pulled together some of the sounds of that period. This is an excerpt from that story.

As a bandleader in the 1960s and '70s, Smith wrote timeless music — and secured that label during the '80s and '90s, when hip-hop producers sampled his work left and right. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Smith on the occasion of a new album that revives the out-of-print gems of a six-decade career.

Eli Rosenbaum has spent much of his career at the Department of Justice, identifying and deporting Nazi war criminals. He tells NPR's Rachel Martin about the first time he became aware of the Nazis, the sense of duty he feels to pursue justice for the victims, and the surreal experience of questioning suspects about atrocities committed decades ago.

In the new Broadway productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III, imported from London's Globe Theatre, the director and actors put on the shows pretty much as the Bard would have staged them — with an all-male cast and everything.

A study released this week found there could be as many as 40 billion habitable planets in the galaxy. Host Rachel Martin talks to Mike Brown, a professor of astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, to help digest the enormity of the finding.

Joe Sacco has made a career of tackling difficult subjects through imagery. He's a journalist and cartoonist who has reported on the Middle East and Bosnia — in both written and comic form. In his latest book, The Great War, Sacco turns to history, producing a 24-foot-long depiction of the horrifying first day of the Battle of the Somme.

The New York band's sound veers from girl-group pop to sunbaked psychedelia. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with singers Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, whose entwined vocals are what make the group stand out.

SAN FRANCISCO - Panthers kicker Graham Gano isn’t perfect anymore, but he was more than good enough.Gano kicked a 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter…

Down-home and majestic, the tenor saxophonist's sound was like a cane stalk shooting up out of rich earth. His 1960 album The Book Cooks features fellow sax-man Zoot Sims in a friendly square-off.

Lady Gaga has been building anticipation for her third studio album in ways that only she can manage. But perhaps the forte of ARTPOP lies in its marketing — not the actual music.

The government is sitting on billions of dollars owed to ordinary people — who often don't know the money is there. Here's where the money is.

Criminal lawyers increasingly turn to brain science to explain their clients' actions. It's a tactic that's kept defendants out of jail. But neuroscientists say scans can be easily misused or misinterpreted. Now judges must decide whether the evolving science is being used in a sensible way.

Despite the bankruptcy, parts of downtown Detroit are going gangbusters, and that's in large part because of one guy. Online mortgage mogul Dan Gilbert has bought up 40 buildings and counting. He's filling those buildings — some of which used to be vacant — with new businesses. But some residents are wary of his expanding reach in the city.

The holiday is a Chinese twist on Valentine's Day, a day to focus not on couples but on yourself. And apparently the concept is good for business. It has led to an unprecedented online shopping spree.

Last year, Samsung was found guilty of patent infringement and a judge ordered Apple be paid a billion dollars in damages. Earlier this year, another judge reduced that amount to $450 million. Now, a new trial, where a jury will reconsider both the allegations and the damages awarded.

For more on the damage in the Philippines, Steve Inskeep talks to Steven Rood, of The Asia Foundation, about what Leyte province was like before the storm hit. Typhoon Haiyan may have killed thousands in the province and its capital Tacloban.

Linda Wertheimer talks to Marine Brigadier General Paul Kennedy who is managing a large aid effort from Manila. He is touring the devastated areas by air. After one assessment, he told the AP: "We saw bodies everywhere," and "I don't know how else to describe total devastation."

The State Department is spotlighting the mGive Foundation's online and cellphone donation tools. Millions have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan and large areas of the Philippines have been devastated.

Also: Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis is coming out with a memoir; a new story by Jeffrey Eugenides; Martin Cruz Smith says he has Parkinson's.