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Behind Hamas' Success

The militant Islamist group Hamas works to deliver on campaign promises after its recent election victory. The U.S., Europe and Israel say Hamas is a terrorist organization. For others, it's a legitimate force in the Palestinian territories. At left, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, Feb. 12.

U.S.: No Plan to Isolate Hamas

The Politics of Marriage

Same-sex couples dance during a marriage-equality rally on Capitol Hill in 2004. Photo: Getty Images.

This year, as many as 10 states will consider amending their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage. Web Extra: Interactive Map

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Winter Olympics '06

Sweden's Lina Andersson displays her gold medal after winning the women's team sprint cross country race in the Winter Olympics, Feb. 14, 2006. Credit: Reuters

The Latest
from Turin

Upsets, victories and everything in between at the Winter Games.

Stem Cell Research: Science and the Future

An embryonic stem cell on the book cover. Credit: Pi Press.

Since 1998, when scientists isolated embryonic stem cells in a lab, questions over their possible use have abounded. Bioethics expert Christopher Thomas Scott breaks down the possibilities in Stem Cell Now. Web Extra: Book Excerpt

This I Believe: The Bright Lights of Freedom

Yale Law School Dean Harold Hongju Koh's parents fled a dictatorship in Korea to raise their family in the United States. Their story, and his own work for the State Department, inspired Koh's belief in freedom. Web Extra: More from the Series

A 40-Year Friendship Built on 'Gospel Music'

A sign on a rustic wooden door promises 'service Sunday night.' Photo by Lee Friedlander from the cover of 'Gospel Music.'

Record producer Joel Dorn and photographer Lee Friedlander came together 40 years ago through a love of gospel and blues. Now they've put out a compilation of their favorite gospel songs from the 1950s and 1960s. Web Extra: Classic Gospel Cuts

'Missa Solemnis,' a Divine Bit of Beethoven

Detail from a rare contemporary portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven. Photo by Getty Images.

The Catholic mass Beethoven called Missa Solemnis is rarely performed. But considered in partnership with the much more famous Ninth Symphony, it sheds light on the composer's spiritual view. Web Extra: Compare Classical Tunes

The Sounds of Love: Valentine's Day Music

Gen-exers love "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel, while their parents prefer "At Last" as sung by Etta James. Those are two of the most popular tunes NPR listeners chose in a recent NPR.org poll on Valentine's Day music. Web Extra: Hear Listeners' Picks

The Life and Loves of a 'Portuguese Nun'

Myriam Cyr, author of 'Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun'

Letters attributed to a nun in 17th-century Portugal are the subject of a literary mystery. Were they really written by Mariana Alcoforado? Author Myriam Cyr (left) examines the subject. Web Extra: Read an Excerpt; Hear a Reading

Life Among 'The Reindeer People'

An Eveny herdsman walks along a frozen Siberian lake, accompanied by two reindeer. Photo courtesy of Piers Vibetsky.

The Eveny herders of Siberia depend on the reindeer for both physical and spiritual nourishment. Anthropologist Piers Vibetsky spent 20 studying them, and tells their story in a new book. Web Extra: Read an Excerpt

Colorful Lessons in 'How to Be a Good Dog'

Detail from 'How to Be a Good Dog' by Gail Page shows Bobo eating a treat. Courtesy of Bloomsbury USA.

Children's author Daniel Pinkwater finds Gail Page's illustrated book How to Be a Good Dog an engaging read. Pinkwater's canine friend Lulu has plenty to say on the subject, too. Web Extra: See Illustrations from 'Good Dog'

'The Grace That Keeps This World': Family Strife

Author Tom Bailey. Credit: Sarah LeWine.

Author Tom Bailey talks about his first novel, The Grace That Keeps This World. It centers on a family living a hardscrabble life in the Adirondack wilderness, two sons' struggle for independence and a fateful hunting trip. Web Extra: Read an Excerpt

Not Coming to a Theater Near You: Satire Trailers

A fake movie poster suggestions a 'Brokeback Mountain' version of 'Star Wars.'

Critic Bob Mondello looks at a new phenomenon: From Brokeback Mountain to Big, satires of movie previews are playing now at a Web site near you. The new trailers radically different films from the ones we know. Web Extra: See the Spoofs

Traveling on the Thruway of Love

Sonya Baker and Michael Fazio. Credit: StoryCorps

When Michael Fazio worked as a toll collector, Sonya Baker started making excuses to take the highway. And what began as an innocent flirtation eventually evolved into secret signs -- and an offer of dinner. Web Extra: More in the Series

Book Tells Stories of 'While They're at War'

Army Pvt. Luigi Pratt and his wife Beth at his homecoming at Pope Air Force Base. Credit: Kristin Henderson.

Many Americans do not personally know what it's like to send a loved one off to war. A new book, While They're at War, explores the private sacrifices made by military families on the home front. Web Extra: Book Excerpt, Photos

Sen. Sam Brownback's Politics of Faith

Sen. Sam Brownback; Credit: Elizabeth Tannen, NPR

Sen. Sam Brownback, a deeply religious social conservative from Kansas who played a key role in recent Supreme Court nomination battles, doesn't deny being interested in running for president. Web Extra: Brownback Profile, Audio

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Kitchen Window

Unexpectedly Sweet

For Natalie Y. Moore, baking buttermilk pie is a celebration of food, family and her Southern roots. It makes quick converts of buttermilk naysayers, too.