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Though it may be tempting to categorize Chicago band Mazes as a twee band by the sound of its upbeat and melodic opening song, "Manual Systems," the melancholy lyrics that follow expose a darker side to this otherwise buoyant group, preventing the trio's self-titled debut album from becoming too saccharine. Rich, evocative images, like shattered dreams, long lines, exploding soda cans, black hearts, and dark forests, accompany jaunty guitar solos, upbeat piano interludes, and cheery duets to create an intriguing mix of lows and highs.

The fast-paced, playful pop songs from the Arizona-based band What Laura Says are utterly infectious, full of quirky vocals and banged out piano chords. Lyrically, the record walks a line between comedic sarcasm and poignancy. But What Laura Says takes the pop formula one step further, injecting thick, full band instrumentation and a slew of retro sounds, from psychedelia to folk and bluegrass. The result is a very catchy record that keeps things light without losing any sort of musical integrity.

Popular theory holds that after Mohammed Morsi's ouster, the power came back on and gas lines disappeared because Hosni Mubarak's entrenched "deep state" was deliberately undermining Morsi during his term. More likely, Egypt's large and immovable bureaucracy simply wasn't equipped to deal with the new leadership, which too quickly pushed its own agenda rather than a national one. Analysts say Egypt's experience is a lesson to countries around the region that even when you change the leadership, it's much harder to tackle the deep state that remains.

NPR's Ann Cooper reports from Moscow on the Russian presidential campaign. Russian President Boris Yeltsin today used the power of his incumbency to fire some hard-line generals, sign a decree to pull Russian troops out of Chechnya and sent money to some miners so they'll get paid before the run-off election. Communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov has been nearly invisible, but appears to be positioning himself for a role in the government if he loses to Yeltsin. Russian voters go to the polls a week from tomorrow to choose between Yeltsin and Zyuganov for the presidency of that nation.

A new magazine arrives on-line today, after a few false starts. Failure magazine is, as its title implies, about failure: battles lost, sports blunders, products that didn't catch on. The fact that someone would even come up with an idea for such a magazine suggests that, in an age when dot-coms come and go like buses, the very notion of failure may not have the stigma it once did when Willie Loman first walked the boards. NPR's Brooke Gladstone reports. (7:30) For more information, visit http://failuremag.com

Commentator Katie Davis brings us another of her neighborhood stories. Meet Don Victor Zebina, who always has the last word at the community garden in Walter Pierce Community Park. You need a piece of land; you have to go to Victor. You don't go and your plants might get ripped out. Katie Davis maps the intricate boundaries and passions of the community garden in Adams Morgan -- the most diverse neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Recently, there has been a line of people asking for new plots. The tension among gardeners has even led to "garden wars."

Linda talks with Miami Herald reporter Donna Leinwand (LINE wand) about the events leading to the arrest of Kathleen Bush. Bush's 8 year old daughter, Jennifer, captured national attention as a literal poster child for families without medical insurance. She had been hospitalized 200 times and had had 40 surgeries. Her mother, claiming poverty due to medical bills, had received donations for her care. Authorities now believe Bush has made her daugher sick deliberately. They believe the mother suffers from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological condition causing a parent strives to get attention by making his or her child sick.

Linda Wertheimer talks with Kenneth Quinn, former chief counsel of the FAA about airport security issues involving airport workers who have access to airplanes on the ground such as food service workers, maintainance and cleaning crews. (4:00) 2A CUTAWAY 0:59 2B 11. 800 NUMBER - NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports that the FBI has set up an 800 number to handle tips from normal citizens that might help explain why TWA Flight 800 crashed. The bureau typically gets a high volume of calls on such lines, but they say any one call can provide a critical piece of information.

An estimated 350 people attended an "ICE out for Good" rally in Grand Rapids on Jan. 10, 2026.

Bob Shimek on the centering experience of being with nature, and the complicated aspects of treaties and natural resources

Cultural exhibits and events in Northern Minnesota