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New York was practically falling apart in 1977 when Koch first ran for mayor, but he created a feeling the city could come back. His larger-than-life personality was well-suited to the nation's biggest city but could also get him in trouble. A spokesman says Koch died early Friday. He was 88.

Chen Guangbiao is trying to call attention to China's environmental issues by selling clean air. Eighty cents buys you a touch of air from "pristine Tibet."

This week, the Senate passed a rules change to make it just a little harder for members to start a filibuster. Some think it's not enough action, and others think it's too limiting, but most agree that a compromise is better than nothing. Weekends on All Things Considered host Robert Smith talks with political scientist Sarah Binder about how the filibuster grew in to such a road-blocking nuisance in the first place, and asks Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., what these changes will mean for the senate filibuster.

Colorado's vote to approve recreational use of marijuana also legalized its relative hemp, which is grown for food and other everyday uses, not for its high. Large-scale commercial farmers may be in line to benefit, but growing hemp is still illegal under federal law.

It's feared that thousands of ancient manuscripts may have been destroyed in the fire. The oldest is said to date to 1204. Meanwhile, French and Malian forces are securing the ancient city and searching for the Islamist extremists.

Eight senators — four Democrats and four Republicans — unveiled principles they say will guide a bipartisan immigration overhaul. It would let undocumented immigrants with no criminal records get probationary legal residency if they pay fines and taxes. Full citizenship might come after other reforms.

A bipartisan plan unveiled Monday to overhaul the U.S. immigration system frames a pitched debate expected in Congress around the areas of border enforcement, a path to citizenship for those already in the country, and the future flow of new arrivals.

Drought is mostly seen as a bad thing — and for good reason. But the upsides include fewer mosquitoes, less polluted runoff and greater awareness of climate change.

More than 150 years ago, prospectors moved to California hoping to strike it rich. Now, companies are reopening hard rock mines that have been shut down for decades, but past experiences with environmental damage have made some communities leery of gold diggers.

Increasingly, China's surveillance state has extended to include Chinese individuals spying on one another. Former journalist Qi Hong has helped ordinary citizens and government officials alike detect bugs and hidden cameras planted by others. In one year, his bug hunt turned up more than 300 devices for a hundred friends.