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In the crowded field of indie rock, a band's first few albums are crucial. They establish the band's sound and expand its fanbase. But Cincinnati's Heartless Bastards breaks those rules with its second CD, All This Time. Instead of sticking to its workmanlike gritty blues rock, the band has developed a more open, expansive and personal sound.

Hezbollah operates as a state within a state, according to many observers of Lebanon. The Shiite group's influence is a vestige of Lebanon's long civil war, when the country had no central government.

The human brain definitely differs from the brains of our primate relatives. But how did we get such big brains? A paper in the journal Nature says part of the answer may lie in a snippet of DNA buried deep in the human genome.

Nawar Sahili is a member of Hezbollah who also sits on the Lebanese Parliament. He shares his views on the U.N. resolution that calls for disarmament of his organization in the south of the country, the potential source of funds for rebuilding after the war, and Israel's right to exist.

The Justice Department will compare U.S. and British anti-terror laws to see if any British tactics should be adopted. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has expressed interest in the powers held by his U.K. counterparts, including the ability to hold terrorism suspects without charge for up to 28 days. But the U.S. Constitution could doom tougher detention laws. And U.S. officials may already have enough power to effectively pursue terrorists.

Among the topics: Matt Holzmann's story of the day he finally got a new kidney; Neil Young's protest music; and the old-fashioned -- and highly successful -- Anniston Star newspaper of Anniston, Ala.

Robert Siegel talks with Tom Friedman, "Foreign Affairs" columnist for The New York Times and the author of the newly-revised bestseller, The World is Flat. Friedman will discuss his piece in this month's issue of Foreign Policy, "The First Law of Petropolitics." In the article, Friedman posits that democratic institutions generally suffer when the price of oil rises, leading to petrol-producing countries that are simultaneously rich and corrupt.

NPR political editor Ken Rudin and guests discuss the recent GOP gubernatorial primary win in Ohio for Kenneth Blackwell.

Refugee camps in Sudan's Darfur region are underfunded and desperately in need of supplies. Carlos Veloso, The World Food Program's Emergency Coordinator for the region, talks with Renee Montagne about camp life.

Musician Ralph Towner performs in NPR's Studio 4A. His career spans more than 30 years, from the Paul Winter Consort to the group Oregon. Today he remains a prolific solo artist on the acoustic guitar, with a new CD: Time Line.

Peggy Lee's most memorable tune was "Fever." A biography borrows the title of the 1958 hit, which encapsulated what many remember about the singer: her playful delivery, charisma and sexuality.

Fred Allen, head of the selection committee for the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, talks with Renee Montagne about this year's inductees. Their inventions range from fiberglass and the birth-control pill to Gore-Tex and the Internet.