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Many older houses along the coast have what are usually described as a "widow's walk." But, contrary to popular belief, these may have been built as much for fighting chimney fires as they were for catching a first glimpse of returning seafarers.

Africa correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault talks with Farai Chideya about the latest news from the continent. This week: a call to extradite former Liberian President Charles Taylor to face a war crimes tribunal, and charges of genocide against journalists in Ethiopia are dropped.

New York's fabled Algonquin Hotel has a rich history. Built in 1902, it was home to the literary lions of the Roundtable -- Dorothy Parker and George S. Kaufman, among them. But for years, the hotel has also been home to another kind of feline.

Robert Siegel talks to Dr. Gary Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List and Methods Committee. In light of the doping allegations leveled against Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, Wadler explains the role testosterone and epitestosterone play in sports -- and how the levels fluctuate.

In the third in a series of conversations on the U.S. end game in Iraq, professor Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland says the war in Iraq cannot be viewed in isolation from other conflicts and tensions in the region.

The New Orleans mayoral election is scheduled for April 22, but there are concerns many city residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina will be left out of the voting process. Farai Chideya talks to Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater, who is helping registered voters cast ballots in the upcoming election.

As many as 700,000 Lebanese civilians have fled their homes as a result of the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah. NPR's Jackie Northam focuses in on a family from the town of Srifa, deep in south Lebanon, which came under heavy Israeli bombing in the opening days of the conflict.

A grand jury has indicted a third member of the Duke University lacrosse team on charges of first-degree rape. David Evans, a 23-year-old senior and team co-captain from Bethesda, Md., was also indicted on sexual offense and kidnapping charges.

NPR's Ken Rudin examines the president's political capital and the Illinois primary. And Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) talks about his decision to retire after nearly a quarter-century serving in the House of Representatives.

Thousands of American and Iraqi casualties have been treated at the American military hospital in Balad, Iraq. Many of the recent casualties were Iraqi police and soldiers. But the hospital also treats civilians and even insurgents, offering the same care that an American soldier would receive.

An increase in drug busts and murders has people in New Orleans worried about the return of crime to the city. Police admit they're concerned that, while old criminals are gone, there may be new ones who see an opportunity to penetrate a drug market abandoned after Hurricane Katrina.

Abortion rights advocates have announced a petition drive in South Dakota calling for a rejection of an abortion law recently signed by the governor. It would be the most restrictive such law in the nation.