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Can the repeated brain injuries suffered by some athletes cause problems with brain function later in life? A new play, Headstrong, opening next week in New York, looks at athletes and head trauma, and the high price some athletes end up paying for playing the game.

Whether you're cooking up jambalaya or the turkey-duck-chicken creation known as "turducken," it's the spice -- not the cooking that makes the difference. Audie Cornish reports on the herbs and spices that New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme says adds to cooking and to life.

Residents of Washington, D.C., and 15 states -- from Georgia to Michigan to New York -- are awaiting a massive, boisterous grand entrance. A group of cicadas that only emerges once every 17 years is making its way out of the ground -- by the billions, at least. NPR's Melissa Block headed out to suburban Maryland for a cicada preview.

For American retailers, the bad news just kept coming this week. Circuit City joined the growing list of chain stores filing for bankruptcy. Best Buy warned of what it called "seismic changes" in consumer spending habits. And yesterday the commerce department said retail sales fell at a record 2.8 percent in October. The downturn is already forcing many stores to mark down what they sell.

By Catherine M. Welchhttp://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/whqr/local-whqr-513252.mp3Wilmington, NC – As Wilmington's film industry was…

Sen. Barack Obama is now assured of an absolute majority of pledged delegates in the Democratic presidential race — with expectations that flexible superdelegates will follow. Now he's moving toward a declaration of victory over Sen. Hillary Clinton.

The sex scandals of Gen. David Petraeus and Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair have triggered public conversations about ethics, national security and leadership. These high-profile cases of infidelity have also prompted private conversations about the challenges of military marriage.

Regular readers of Michael Gerson's column in the Washington Post know he usually tackles timely issues in politics, religion, foreign policy and global health and development. Recently, he dealt with what may be an even more challenging — and personal — issue: the difficulties of dieting.

New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin sprang into the spotlight after he scored 27 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. Lin, who previous mostly rode the bench, has become a sensation in the U.S., particularly among many Asian Americans. Journalist Chuck Leung feels a bit conflicted about celebrating Lin's success.

A controversial election-season ad campaign -- substantially underwritten by drug companies -- advocates the much-debated proposal to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.