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Nearly 6,000 original stories were submitted to this round of Three-Minute Fiction. We're on the quest to select just one winner. Until then, we'll be reading a few of the stories that catch our eyes. To see these stories and others go to npr.org/threeminutefiction.

Marijuana laws have been liberalized in more than a dozen states, and in California, medical marijuana dispensaries are common. But that doesn't mean pot use is on the rise. According to government data, Americans who admit to using pot have been at about 6 percent since 2002.

The Labor Department has said the nation's unemployment rate rose to 6.5 percent in October, its highest rate in 14 years. The report said 240,000 jobs were lost, worse than expected. This year, 1.2 million jobs have been lost.

Congress this week passed — by a veto-proof margin — legislation to cancel a 10.6 percent pay cut to doctors who care for Medicare patients. But President Bush says he'll veto it anyway, because the bill also reduces funding to private insurance plans that participate in Medicare.

Find out the number one album of the year as selected by NPR listeners. Count down the top ten CDs with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen as he chats with reviewers Robert Christgau, Will Hermes, Meredith Ochs and John Richards.

NPR'S Eric Westervelt reports that a federal judge in Philadelphia today ruled that two former top city officials do not have to pay damages to surviving members of the group MOVE, for the city's 1985 bombing of their home which killed 11 people.

The U.S. Department of Justice and top state officials are investigating a proposed Muslim housing development in North Texas known as EPIC City for potential religious discrimination. The project's developers say they're years away from breaking ground.

Summer is a time to drop the top on the convertible, crank up the tunes, and enjoy the ride... Join NPR's Ned Wharton, music director for Weekend Edition Sunday, for some high-octane music including selections from The Reputation, Professor Ratbaggy and The Churchills.

Hurricane Ivan moves inland along the Gulf Coast, spawning tornadoes, causing flooding and tearing beach houses from their foundations. Its top winds have dropped to 80 mph, but the storm remains dangerous. Hear NPR's Jon Hamilton.

Denmark's foreign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Magic Hollow, a new four-CD retrospective of the band The Beau Brummels, a '60s British Invasion-era pop group from California. Their biggest -- and only top 10 -- hit was "Laugh, Laugh."

A massive heat wave continues to broil many parts of the United States, with temperatures topping 100 degrees for the third consecutive day in many places. And with high humidity and other factors, the heat index shows that the temperatures often feel even hotter.

The groundbreaking rock band Cream he will receive a 2006 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award next week. Eric Clapton was the group's guitarist. To many in music, Eric Clapton is at or near the top of any list of the greatest guitar players in rock history.

A federal appeals court ruled that only people who can demonstrate that they've been spied on have the right to sue. But the records of who has been wiretapped are top secret, making it unlikely that anyone could rightfully file a lawsuit.

Two degrees from Stanford aren't your usual recipe for hip-hop credibility, but Korean rapper Tablo found success at the top of the charts. That was, until a single rumor set websites ablaze with pop-culture paranoia and conspiracy.

A top Palestinian official says he's hopeful that a "small window" of opportunity exists for peace with Israel in the wake of this month's cease-fire agreement. But Nabil Shaath, foreign minister for the Palestinian Authority, says Israel is moving too slowly on several issues.

Drawing from influences such as The Beatles, David Bowie, Elvis Costello and Simon & Garfunkel, Willie Wisely creates a sound that he describes as "swing-alt-pop." An upright bass, arch-top guitars and trombone help drive his singular style.

In Iraq, insurgents conducted attacks across the country Tuesday, killing more than 20 people, including several Iraqi policemen and a U.S. soldier. In Washington, top Pentagon officials encouraged Iraqis to finish work on a new constitution on schedule.

Cohn's 1991 single "Walking in Memphis" made him an instant star: A sentimental Top 40 favorite and an enduring radio staple, the song was his ticket to Grammy-winning fame. Hear Cohn in an interview and in-studio performance from WXPN.

Final Fantasy is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Owen Pallett, who first achieved notoriety as a member of The Arcade Fire. Pallett makes music that marries the serious and the silly, informed by everything from Dungeons & Dragons to the songs on Top 40 radio.