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The water outages in Jackson, Miss., began Feb. 15 as a winter storm swept across the state. An untold number of residents are still without clean water weeks later.

Two new spy novels, Alex Berenson's The Faithful Spy and Robert Baer's Blow the House Down offer thrilling fictions based on today's realities of terrorism — and undercover efforts to thwart it. Literature professor Alan Cheuse has a review.

On its surface, L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a fantastical adventure, set in a magical land of munchkins and winged monkeys. But historian Quentin Taylor reads modern parallels into the story.

Poet and Irish expatriate Frank Delaney has enjoyed success as a BBC host, Man Booker Prize judge and author of the best-selling novel, Ireland. To honor St. Patrick's Day, Delaney shares with Weekend Editionhis original poem, Drowning the Shamrock.

As summer vacations draw to a close and school-age children begin the mad scramble to fulfill their summer reading obligations, author Lesley M. M. Blume recommends a few timeless books that may not be on the required book lists.

Qiu Xiaolong's English-language detective stories track Shanghai's transformation into a modern metropolis and how ordinary citizens are struggling to cope with the rapid pace of change.

The Justice Department will be probing the Phoenix police's use of force and their treatment of the city's homeless.

"Amazing Grace" has become a pop, folk and gospel standard since Englishman John Newton, a slave trader-turned-abolitionist, wrote the words in the 1700s. NPR's Liane Hansen talks with Steve Turner about his new book and the song's remarkable history.

Genetic testing has revealed that some female California condors have been able to reproduce asexually.

The Kitchen Sisters travel to the fire pits, churchyards, cake stands and bingo games of Owensboro, Ky., to investigate the 150-year-old communal roasting ritual known as burgoo.

Avant-garde and sometimes controversial, Eric Dolphy was a master of several instruments. He was one of the first musicians to record unaccompanied horn solos, and largely introduced the bass clarinet as a solo instrument. On this 1964 album, Dolphy displays his talents on flute, alto saxophone, and bass clarinet.

In the 1920s, Sidney Bechet developed a distinctive, vibrato style on soprano saxophone that won him wide acclaim. His career lagged until 1949, when he went to a jazz festival in Paris and became an overnight sensation. His skilled improvisation is highlighted in this box set, which covers 1923 to 1950.

There's just something about a MoonPie. It's hard to find a Southern country store that doesn't stock them. There are contests to see how many of the chocolate-covered-graham-cracker-and-marshmallow treats people can eat. On Morning Edition, Melanie Peeples explores the MoonPie phenomenon.

The artist said that her nomination could inspire her to put out "a hopefully great rock 'n' roll album at some point in the future."

Brian Benjamin surrendered to the FBI Tuesday morning. His case is being handled by the Southern District Court of New York.

One week after releasing a record-shattering studio debut, the Atlanta native brings a glowing R&B set to the Tiny Desk.

Police took 49-year-old Lance Storz into custody late Thursday night after an hourslong standoff at a home in Allen, a small town in the hills of Appalachia.

Hear Arcade Fire live in concert from New York's Judson Memorial Church during their Neon Bible period in 2007.

For many old-timers, soul music died when its Southern branch floundered at the end of the '60s. But as disco came on, Philadelphia produced a variant of its own, and now one of its sub-genres has been revived in credible fashion by The Legendary 3 Tenors of Soul.

Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the Waco Brothers' album Waco Express: Live and Kickin' at Schubas Tavern. It's the seventh album from the Chicago cowpunk outfit, but only its first live disc.