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Producer Ginna Allison sends us this story of one of the most famous of American folk songs, "John Henry", and of the man and community behind it. John Henry was a black railroad worker who's said to have died after outperforming a mechanized railroad spike driver back in the 19th century. He is said to have come from Talcott (pronounced: TALL-cut), a small town in West Virginia. Allison brings us the voices of Talcott's people...and the music of Doc Watson and John Cephas...which echo the exploits of John Henry, and reveal how the racially diverse community views the song, the town's history, and each other.

Banning Eyre reviews the new CD Oh What a World by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady. Brady used to be known as one of the greatest voices in traditional Irish music, but now his reputation as a pop songwriter is quickly growing. He's written songs for Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner, Carlos Santana and many others, a fact that causes a little anguish for die-hard fans of traditional Irish music. Paul Brady's CD is Oh What a World on Compass Records, catalog number 7-4304-2. Compass Records can be contacted at info@compassrecords.com.

In the 1950s Dickie Goodman took bits of pop songs, cut them up like a collage with voices telling wacky stories of flying saucers and gave birth to a new form of novelty records. Goodman continued making these records until the late 1980s and they became small time capsules of culture. Jon Goodman has an appreciation of the "King of Novelty." (6:15) Jon Goodman's book is called The King of Novelty. Jon Goodman's CD of novelty tunes is called 25 All-time Novelty Hits and includes some of Dickie Goodman's work. See http://www.varesesarabande.com.

The secret identity of the electronic artist known as Podington Bear has been blown. Hear how it happened. We've also got music from the gentle-voiced singer, Doveman. He turns the dance-pop song "Let's Hear It For The Boy," from the Footloose soundtrack, into a slow dirge. Also on the show: Tilly and the Wall, a baroque viola piece, Teddy Thompson, the gifted son of Richard and Linda Thompson, Swedish singer Sarah Assbring, also known as El Perro Del Mar, and a nearly flawless new album from Germany's 20-year rock veterans, The Notwist.

The collaboration of guitarist Phil Wandscher and singer Jesse Sykes started from the ashes of broken bands. Wandscher had been fired from the legendary alternative country band Whiskeytown, which he started with Ryan Adams. Jesse Sykes' band Hominy had dissolved around the same time her marriage came to an end. Now the two are featuring Wandscher's lyrical guitar style and Sykes' smoke-tinged voice. Critic Meredith Ochs reviews their CD, from Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter called Oh, My Girl.

Lynn Neary talks with counter-tenor David Daniels. When Daniels was training in graduate school at the University of Michigan he sang tenor but felt it wasn't his true singing voice. With help from a therapist, he decided counter-tenor was what he should be singing. He's had a very successful career as a counter-tenor and will perform in the first ever counter-tenor solo concert at Carnegie Hall tomorrow night. The music heard in this piece was: Vivaldi: "Fac ut ardeat" from Stabat Mater (Virgin Veritas 7243-5-45474-2 3); Handel: "Ombra mai fu" from opera Serse (Virgin Veritas 7243-5-45326-2-7); Handel: "Cara speme" from opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Virgin Veritas 7243-5-45326-2-7); Handel: "Despair No More Shall Wound Me" from opera Semele (Virgin Classics 7243-5-45497-2-4).

It's been five years since Postal Service released their one and only full-length CD Give Up, and since then fans have been jonesing for another album. With no new music from the band on the horizon, you can now safely fill the void with the Tucson, Ariz. duo ...music video?. ...music video? makes very organic electronic music that deftly mixes pop rhythms with glitches and guitar rock. The group is fronted by the cozy voice of singer and songwriter Paul Jenkins, with Wes McCanse taking care of the mixing and computer wizardry.

When you’re low income, housing is a huge problem. When you’re low income and in alcohol and drug recovery, housing can be an even greater problem. There is an initiative in the Bemidji area that aims to get landlords and tenants in the vulnerable position of chemical recovery, on the same page. Here to tell us more about it are Lance Egely of Northern Access, Andrew Erholtz, participating landlord from Vision Properties and County Commisioner Reed Olson.

NPR's Ted Clark reports that the Taliban, the militant Islamic movement that's taken over most of Afghanistan, has sent a delegation to the U.S. to lobby for international recognition of the Taliban as the country's legitimate government. The Taliban is trying to gain Afghanistan's United Nations seat. It also wants to dilute international criticism in the areas of human rights and terrorism. The Taliban has refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, who's accused of masterminding the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa.

The Internet is spawning a host of new businesses trying to make a buck by providing access to the Web. One entrepreneur is trying to provide service to certain metropolitan areas by keeping a solar-powered airplane circling overhead at 50,000 feet -- sort of a satellite system that's not in outer space. Robert Sigel talks with Marc E. Arnold, chief executive of Angel Technologies in St. Louis, Mo. He joins us by phone from Los Angeles.

Fighting has flared up again in the Balkans, in a demilitarized zone between Kosovo and Macedonia. NATO troops in the area are attempting to suppress that violence between ethnic Albanians and Macedonia security forces. But even as the region heats up, the Bush administration is moving to trim the ranks of Americans now on a peacekeeping mission in neighboring Bosnia. President Bush has said he wants the European Union to shoulder more of the burden in the region. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

NPR's Melissa Block reports from the salvage scene on Long Island. Investigators have been talking to a number of people who were in the area when the Boeing 747 went down last week--some say they saw something suspicious just before the crash, but no one has been able to confirm their claims. Meanwhile, investigators say early indications that there is residue of explosives on some of the wreckage were WRONG, and that they have not found any residue.

Noah talks to Corp. David Charles with the Mt. Sterling Police dept, about the flash flood that hit his area of Kentucky last night and the failed attempt to save the life of a ten year boy who was swept away by the rushing waters. Also, Gary Schiff, community affairs officer for the Carson National Forest, describes the fires raging in parts of New Mexico, forcing the evacuation of 2000 people from Red River, New Mexico.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports that even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington today for U.S.-mediated peace talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Israel tightened its hold on the occupied territories of the West Bank, sending new tanks and troops to the area and drastically curtailing travel. Tensions remained high, though there were none of the violent demonstrations that all but killed off the Middle East peace process last week.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on the growing humanitarian crisis in eastern Zaire caused by increased fighting between the Zairean army and Zairean Tutsi rebels. In the area around Bukavu (boo-KAH-voo), food is running out for hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced by the violence. International pleas to end the fighting have gone unheeded, and there are growing fears that the clashes could lead to a wider regional war, involving the government armies and rebel forces of neighboring Rwanda and Burundi.

The biggest attraction in Tokyo today is a mall -- in Shinjuku, arguably the most over-built, over-commercialized, overrun-with-stores area on the planet, Hong Kong notwithstanding. More than two-point-five million people have streamed thru the complex since it opened. NPR's Julie McCarthy reports on the success of the mall, why the shoppers keep pouring into the stores, and the changes in the Japanese national character that have been wrought by that country's economic prosperity.

NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports on the 10-day-old trucker strike in France. The strike tactics, including roadblocks on highways and at truck fueling stations, have resulted in fuel rationing in some areas, closed factories and an interruption to the supplies of perishable goods. Overnight, the union and trucking companies reached an agreement to allow truckers to retire at age 55 after 25 years employment. Still to be settled are trucker demands for higher pay and shorter working hours.

President Bush flew to Quebec City today for the weekend Summit of the Americas. Every leader in the hemisphere except Fidel Castro will be there in an effort to promote free trade throughout North and South America and the Caribbean. Protesters have gathered in Quebec City to espouse "fair trade" instead of free trade and to promote a variety of other causes. Canadian authorities have erected a fence around the area where the summit will be held. There has been violence. Robert Siegel speaks to Jason Beaubien in Quebec City about the scene.

Two Florida newspapers mysteriously received a confidential list of 4-thousand people with AIDS. Copies of computer disk with names of AIDS patients in the Tampa area were shipped anonymously to the Tampa and St. Petersburg papers. The shipper said a state worker was distributing the list outside a gay bar. The papers did not publish the lists, but AIDS groups are worried that the breach in confidentiality will discourage people from getting tested. Sally Watt of member station WUSF reports.

Journalist Christopher Kremmer spent 10 years reporting from South and Central Asia, where he developed a love for the carpets made in the region. His new book, The Carpet Wars, celebrates the time he spent with the local carpet merchants and the many souvenirs he acquired. Kremmer and Steve talk about the history and culture behind the area's second largest industry. (Carpet Wars is published by Ecco Press; ISBN: 0060097329.)(8:32)