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Rainy Pass, AK - Mushers have known since the start that this year’s race is likely to be fast, but many seemed surprised that the blistering pace would…

In the 19th and 20th centuries, nearly every coal mine in the U.K. had a brass band. They were intended to keep workers out of trouble, and were a matter of civic pride for local communities. Today, some say that without funding, the bands could become a thing of the past.

When 18th century Jewish peddler Jacob Cerf reappears in the 21st century, he finds he can read minds and will people to do his bidding — but he's also a common housefly. Rebecca Miller's Jacob's Folly traces Jacob's mission to get back at God.

The Crystal River nuclear plant was a driver of commercial life in rural Citrus County, Fla. The power company's decision to close the troubled plant will leave taxpayers and ratepayers on the hook for up to several billion dollars and has residents worried about their region's future.

For more than half a century, former King Norodom Sihanouk dominated his country's politics, from French colonial rule to independence. He is also known for his unsuccessful efforts to keep Cambodia out of the Vietnam War and his alliance with the Khmer Rouge. "The King Father," who thought of himself more as an artist than as a politician, died Monday at age 89.

For the first time, two female Marines are among those training to see if they have what it takes to be battlefield leaders. They're part of a test to see if women can lead Marines in ground combat — jobs that are closed to them now. The training is so difficult that about 20 percent of participants fail.

In California, activists and environmentalists are seeking to halt construction of a new $500 million rail yard next to the Port of Los Angeles. Activists say the massive project would mean even more pollution for nearby neighborhoods that already have some of the worst air in the country.

Carole King wrote songs for others before becoming a performer and writing for herself. In her memoir, A Natural Woman, she details the stories behind some of her most famous songs and her relationships with songwriters like James Taylor, Gerry Goffin and Paul Simon.

NPR conducted the poll of African-American communities with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. While the gap between the well-off and poor in the U.S. has stretched wide in recent years, we found that black Americans describe their financial divide as a nearly 50-50 split, and it affects how they view the world.

Next week, President Obama will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at an estate in California. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon speaks with Ken Lieberthal of the Brookings Institution about what issues the two world leaders are likely to discuss.