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The baby dolls were born from racial segregation in New Orleans in 1912. A group of African-American prostitutes decided to express themselves through dance and costumes, challenging taboo by parading during Mardi Gras.

State officials in Illinois want to conduct DNA tests on the top hat on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to see if he ever really wore it. Museum officials think the idea is worse than bad.

President Obama was in Chicago on Friday to address the scourge of gun violence that's plaguing that city and so many other parts of the country. It was one of several trips the president made this week to promote his second-term agenda.

The Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was charged this week with the murder of his girlfriend at his home in South Africa. His appearance in the 2012 Olympics marked the first time a double amputee had ever competed. Also, with Selection Sunday just four weeks away, no team in college basketball can hang onto the No. 1 spot. Weekend Edition Saturday Scott Simon talks with Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon speaks with Sen. Dick Durbin about the prospects for gun control legislation. The Illinois Democrat chaired a Senate hearing on the issue of gun violence, but the congressional debate remains contentious.

Gov. Jay Inslee gets the call that between 150 and 300 gallons of toxic sludge are leaking from a single-shelled tank every year. There are dozens of these tanks holding waste that have outlived their life spans.

President Obama reiterated his goal of bringing America up to speed with new high-speed rail projects nationwide. Meanwhile, the freight-rail systems are still helping farmers keep costs down and getting their crops out. Any new kind of rail expansion would have to take these long-established networks into account.

If Chicago is a stronghold of American Islam, then Rami Nashashibi might be considered one of its most precocious proponents. On Chicago's South Side, his group, the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, works to end violence and improve residents' living conditions.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is responsible for reshaping the U.S. military after 10 years of war. At the same time, he's fighting to stave off the across-the-board cuts to the defense budget.

To get the Distinguished Warfare Medal, no valor or bodily harm is necessary. But even safely away from combat, drone operators and cyber hackers can have a major impact on military operations. Until now, there hasn't been an award for those contributions.