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Sixteen short stories of a triumphant, tragic, and most of all, hilarious life in show business make up Sam Harris' new memoir, Ham: Slices of a Life. NPR's Jacki Lyden speaks to Harris about his rise to fame after winning the first season of the 1980's hit TV show Star Search.

It's difficult to find a sport more maligned than curling, but curlers say that's changing. NPR's Jacki Lyden talks with Paul Savage, a formerly overweight Canadian curling champion who took home an Olympic medal at age 50. These days, the sport is more about fitness than it is about the beer.

Diane Johnson has spent much of her adult life living in France, writing novels like Le Divorce. But it was not until a visit home, to the Midwestern town of Moline, IL, that the Johnson discovered that her pioneer ancestors had lives worthy of writing about. Her new book, Flyover Lives reconstructs their stories.

Suicide bombings like the one that killed two university colleagues in Kabul prompt many Americans to tell themselves they're safe from targeted violence in the U.S. We know that isn't true, says NPR's Jacki Lyden.

An interactive map shows how measles and whooping cough have made a comeback in the U.S. and Europe, even though they're easily prevented by a few shots. The surge of these diseases coincides with changes in views about vaccine safety.

West Virginia is still assessing the impact of a major chemical spill on Jan. 9 into the Elk River, which left 300,000 people without safe drinking water for days. Guest host Kelly McEvers speaks with Ken Ward Jr., a reporter for the Charleston Gazette, about the spill, and public reaction to conflicting messages from health officials.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea, or PED, virus has killed about 1 million baby pigs in the U.S. since April. Its effect on the pork industry is small so far, but analysts say it could send pork prices rising if it isn't controlled.

No U.S. skating team has ever won Olympic gold in ice dancing. Some experts wonder whether it even qualifies as a sport. But Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, known for their blend of athletic power, speed and flair, are helping to dispel that notion.

The Swiss underdog won his first Grand Slam singles title with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 upset of favored Rafael Nadal, who suffered a back injury.

The five-term senator and former presidential candidate, has gone soft on conservative principles, his state's GOP leadership says.