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Dutch parliamentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali gained fame for criticizing conservative Muslims for what she considered the oppression of women. Now, the Somalia-born activist faces losing her Dutch citizenship for lying to win asylum there. Madeleine Brand speaks with Perro de Yong, European editor for Radio Netherlands, about the story.

Patients with Alzheimer's disease show clear damage to their brains as they age. But some have wondered whether this damage is a cause of the disease or a result of it. Scientists at the University of Minnesota have found a protein that appears to cause memory loss before brain damage appears.

There will be demonstrations both for and against the war in Iraq this weekend in cities across America, which marks the third anniversary of the invasion. But Washington, D.C., will not be targeted this time. Opponents of the war have a new strategy.

For thousands of nervous parents, a popular college guide listing little-known, but highly-regarded, campuses has attracted a cult following. The Evergreen State College outside Olympia, Wash., is one of the schools listed in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student.

NPR Books Editor Petra Mayer posthumously receives the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

New fines were issued Wednesday by the Federal Communications Commission. The fines are aimed toward indecent programming on broadcast television.

Iraqi forces loyal to the Shiite-led government were responsible for the recent abduction of about 50 employees from a security company; almost 20 of those abducted have been killed. Sunni political leaders have repeatedly accused the Shiite-led Ministry of the Interior of kidnapping and killing Sunni Arabs.

Renee Montagne talks with Rhea Paul, professor of communication disorders at Southern Connecticut State University and a researcher at Yale's Child Study Center, about Asperger's Syndrome. Paul explains the disability in the context of this week's StoryCorps installment that features a conversation between a child with Asperger's and his mother.

Recruiting and hiring thousands of additional federal Border Patrol agents is a key part of President Bush's plan to reduce illegal immigration. But tough entry requirements and low pay are making it difficult for the Border Patrol to find and retain enough new agents to meet that goal.

In downtown St. Louis, the opening of the new Busch Stadium is the latest effort to beautify and improve an area that once was called an eyesore and a tragedy. More than 50 businesses have opened in the area, where residential lofts are booming and major projects are building excitement in St. Louis.

Belarus will hold presidential elections Sunday, and the current president, Alexander Lukashenko, is widely expected to win. The European Union and the United States accuse Lukashenko of crushing human rights, and warn of new punitive measures if the election is declared unfair.

Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne read listeners' letters, including praise for stories on China and gardening in London.