Michele Norris

Movies about unlikely buddies such as Harold and Maude and Midnight Cowboy inspired writer and director Ryan Fleck. His latest film, Half Nelson, chronicles the friendship between a student and her drug-addicted teacher.

Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski has instituted a statewide hiring freeze in an attempt to prepare for the economic crunch brought on by his state's crippled Prudhoe Bay oil pipelines.

The police might have made arrests earlier than they'd planned because the attack seemed imminent. Kim Sengupta, defense correspondent for the Independent, talks about the investigation into the plot to blow up airliners and the belief that the ringleaders have been caught.

E.J. Dionne, a columnist for the Washington Post and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and David Brooks, columnist for the New York Times, talk about the prospects for moderates, incumbents and supporters of President Bush.

An Argentine dad who loves Brazilian music, a Swedish childhood listening to Western pop, a stint in a hard-core metal band ... that['s the curious pedigree of singer-guitarist Jose Gonzalez, who can bring a hushed, haunting quality even to Kylie Minogue's pop hit "Hand on Your Heart." His music, well-known in Europe, is now finding an audience in the United States.

A part of American architecture, porches also play an important role in America's literary landscape. In To Kill a Mockingbird and many other works, the space between indoor and out has been the scene of drama, conflict and nostalgia.

Israeli warplanes continue to strike parts of Lebanon, including a Shiite district of Beirut. The attacks follow a passionate plea from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora for a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to the fighting.

The front porch of New Orleans Times-Picayune columnist Chris Rose became an unofficial town hall and community center after Hurricane Katrina. Neighbors congregated to vent, cry and laugh; he likens it to a "24-hour therapy session."

William Christenberry grew up in Hale County, Ala. For more than 40 years, he has returned there each summer, revisiting the same locations to document the passage of time.

National Assembly of Cuba president Ricardo Alarcon says it will be "some weeks" until Fidel Castro returns to power. The Cuban president is recovering from surgery after giving his brother, Raul Castro, responsibility for running the country until he's back on his feet.