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Host Lisa Simeone talks with Louis P. Masur, author of 1831: Year of Eclipse (Hill and Wang/2001). Masur, who teaches history at the City College of New York, talks about some of the key events of 1831: the rise of the abolitionist movement, Nat Turner's rebellion, the tension between states' rights and national priorities, and the arrival of the steam locomotive in the United States.

A special 11-part weekly series, airing Fridays on Morning Edition, highlights the creation of the American musical traditions that give this country its own unique sound. In the second part, NPR's Paul Brown reports on the origins of the country guitar and how an instrument of the upper crust made it to the hills.

President Bush signs executive orders to reform the U.S. intelligence community. White House aides say the orders will strengthen the power of the CIA director and establish a national counterterrorism center. The measures don't rule out reform proposals circulating on Capitol Hill. Hear NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.

The Capitol Hill consensus is that the 1996 welfare reform act has succeeded in reducing welfare rolls by 60 percent. But a key component intended to give states more control over welfare policy is said to be ineffective.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Daniel Laikind, executive producer of the television series Amish in the City. The series follows five Amish young adults and six non-Amish roommates who are living together in the Holywood Hills, near Los Angeles.

A deposition from baseball player Andy Pettitte read Wednesday on Capitol Hill contradicts Clemens' denial that he used performance-enhancing drugs. His trainer's testimony also provoked skepticism.

In the wake of talks over the auto bailout collapsing on Capitol Hill, auto workers in Detroit ponder their increasingly dismal fate. Many say the failure of the package in the Senate was a political attack by Republicans who blocked aid for Detroit automakers.

Also: Federal Reserve Chair Yellen testifies on Capitol Hill; Southern California is baking in near-record heat; and terms of a new Amazon game don't all apply in case of a zombie apocalypse.

There are two kinds of people in the portion of North Carolina surrounding Durham and Chapel Hill: Duke fans and North Carolina fans. Will Blythe is NOT a Duke fan. He writes about his obsession with a college basketball rivalry in a new book.

In her latest book, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin explores how Lincoln's extraordinary political acumen helped him overcome the obstacles of his presidency.