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Arrigo Boito's 'Mefistofele' retells the familiar legend of Faust, with the devil at the center of the action.

In 1989, 2 Live Crew's As Nasty As They Wanna Be became the first album declared legally obscene, and the group's legal battles set a precedent for the rappers that followed.

Oysters, cocaine, fine wine, love triangles: Stephanie Danler's debut novel Sweetbitter follows a year in the life of a young woman working at a top-tier Manhattan restaurant.

The former president's foundation ended years of secrecy by naming its donors. The information dump came about to stave off problems that could sink Hillary Clinton's Cabinet job. The list included enough big money and enough big names to catch the attention of conservatives, journalists and bloggers.

Just two weeks into President Obama's administration, Russia is moving to reassert its influence over former Soviet republics in Central Asia. Moscow is pushing military cooperation and offering financial aid in what some say is reminiscent of the Kremlin's client-state relationships during the Cold War.

As Russia swears in a new president, observers question whether the leader, Vladimir Putin's successor, will have real power to chart his own course for the country. He takes over a nation with a booming oil economy, and many serious problems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his country's vast energy wealth to return Moscow to the world stage during his eight years in office. But instead of integrating with the West, as some had hoped, the Kremlin has made its mark by opposing Western policy.

NPR has learned that the Bush administration is pushing for increased military action along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The plan is part of an effort to kill or capture Osama bin Laden and other top al-Qaida leaders by the time the president leaves office.

President Obama has said health care will top his agenda for the next several weeks in hopes of getting a bill through each house of Congress by the august recess. Although he praised lawmakers Wednesday for moving forward on health care overhaul, there is still a long way to go.

From Boston's New England Conservatory, an 18-year-old pianist plays Chopin, a teen string quartet performs Beethoven and renowned violinist Hilary Hahn collaborates with young musicians who are just about the age she was when her concert career took off.