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Movie critic Bob Mondello says that the major Hollywood studios appear to be more concerned with the bottom line... the profitability of motion pictures... than they are with making risky, provocative movies. Sequels and remakes will dominate the multiplex cinema screens in the coming months, and that doesn't speak well to the tradition of creativity in Hollywood.

After 10 years of marriage, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur for a dentist who believes his wife may be cheating on him. Alan Rudolph's new film, The Secret Lives of Dentists, explores the emotional and psychological bonds of marriage. Hear Rudolph's interview with NPR's Melissa Block.

Vocalist Joan La Barbara performs a work of hers dedicated to runners and divers. The piece, "Time(d) Trials and Unscheduled Events" was first heard at the Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles, in 1984. It focused on the rhythmic breathing of runners and the lines traced in the air by divers. (5:00) (IN S

Martha Stewart has completed her five-month sentence for lying to federal prosecutors about a stock sale. Though she still faces five more months of restricted travel, Stewart's release will allow her to focus on her two new TV shows and a new line of furniture.

Given the proliferation of year-end Top 10 lists, it seems natural that Shadow Classics — which gives shelter to under-appreciated music — would feature its own list of 2006 recordings likely to become Shadow Classics down the line. Don't let these gems go unnoticed.

A new high-tech soccer ball might make things a little easier for the referees. It could end second-guessing that arises when a ball barely crosses the goal line. A German firm has put a transmitter in the center of the ball, which send signals to a computer for precise tracking of the ball.

A U.S. government plan to restore confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would temporarily raise the Treasury Department's credit line to the two mortgage financiers. The idea is to shore up the companies' finances and keep money flowing to the mortgage market. What does this mean for mortgage holders and taxpayers?

The Senate passes a landmark bill for trying and questioning terrorism suspects, in a 65-34 vote that split along party lines. Final approval of the bill seemed assured earlier in the day Thursday, when an amendment aimed at preserving the right of all detainees to challenge their imprisonment in federal courts was narrowly defeated.

Railroad tycoon Leland Stanford drove the golden spike that connected the country's first transcontinental line in 1869, setting off decades of fierce competition for routes to the Pacific. Historian Walter Borneman follows the rails in his new book, Rival Rails: The Race to Build America's Greatest Transcontinental Railroad.

In her new book, The Message, Felicia Pride describes the life lessons she has learned from hip-hop's greatest: self-sufficiency from OutKast, the silver linings of a broken heart from LL Cool J, and even the complexities of wealth from The Notorious B.I.G.

Many of Broadway's greatest orchestrators remain little-known. Ever hear of Sid Ramin, Jonathan Tunick, Don Walker, Russell Bennett or Ralph Burns? Exactly. But those are the men who orchestrated West Side Story, Gypsy, A Chorus Line, Sweeney Todd, Hello Dolly and South Pacific.

The Green Bag law review makes it its mission to get the legal profession to loosen up. Along those lines, they created bobblehead dolls in the likenesses of Supreme Court justices William Rehnquist and John Paul Stevens. NPR's Michele Norris talks with editor and bobblehead creator Montgomery Kosma.

With only a couple of months before the election, authorities are putting out word that federal employees need to beware of the line between protected political activity and prohibited electioneering. A few high-profile dustups have attracted attention already this year and watchdogs are investigating 168 possible violations of the Hatch Act.

The government says that the poverty rate for 2011 was 15 percent, essentially unchanged from the year before. That still means that more than 46 million people lived below the poverty line last year. According to one economist, "the bad news isn't as bad as it has been."

Thousands of tourists remain stranded at beach resorts on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula after Hurricane Wilma. Emergency crews are trying to reach outlying areas. In hard-hit Cancun, long lines have formed for water and food as truckloads of army and police try to pass flooded roads to restore security.

As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatens nuclear strikes on South Korea, Japan and the U.S., there is a new determination across the region to adopt a tougher line. There's talk now in Japan and South Korea that they should have nuclear weapons of their own — a position the U.S. opposes.

Shows like Good Morning America and the Today show can have a big impact on a broadcast network's image and bottom line. NPR's David Greene speaks with media reporter Brian Stelter about Top of the Morning, his new book about the high-stakes world of morning TV.

South Korean scientists who authored a landmark paper on how to derive stem cell lines from individuals have been embroiled in an ethics scandal over how some of the work was conducted. Tuesday, a U.S. co-author of the paper has called into question the paper's scientific accuracy.

The movie version of the controversial book The Yacoubian Building premiered this week in Cairo. The all-star production, the most expensive film ever in Egypt, touches on topics that are often taboo, such as Islamic extremism and homosexuality. It's opening at a time when the Egyptian government is taking a hard line on most expressions of dissent.

Barbie sales have slumped. But Monster High is doing great. That's another line of dolls from Mattel — imagine even skinnier Barbies that look like they've been designed by Tim Burton. And the Monster High dolls have been a success, spawning hordes of ghoulish imitators.