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Host Rachel Martin takes a moment to remember William Henderson Foote, a black federal agent in Mississippi in the late 1800s. He was honored this week by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Last fall, President Abe Lincoln lost his sword. The copper blade went missing from atop Lincoln's burial site in Illinois. Authorities eventually recovered it, but in two pieces. Now, as Rachel Otwell reports, the artifact has been replaced.

When a bookmobile broke down last winter in rural Vermont, patrons, especially preschoolers, really missed it. Then a donor, who heard an NPR story about the rolling library's demise, came up with over $100,000 for a replacement. The town can't believe its good fortune. Vermont Public Radio's Charlotte Albright reports.

Not a lot is known about Kawasaki disease. It affects children under 4 and is more common in Asia, particularly Japan, but more than 4,000 American children contract it every year. One of its secrets may now be revealed, but it took climate researchers to help spot it.

Sergei Magnitsky was a tax lawyer for an investment fund in Russia that was seized by tax police who extracted more than $230 million in illegal refunds for themselves. Magnitsky decided to investigate, was arrested and later died in prison. Now, the government is bringing him to trial "to protect themselves," human rights groups say.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is best-known for affecting football players; repeated bangs to the head can hurt the parts of the brain that direct impulse, memory and emotion. Now, scientists are finding evidence of CTE in the brains of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr. Bob Stern from Boston University School of Medicine talks to weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz.

Robin and his brothers Barry and Maurice Gibb racked up dozens of hit songs in their five decade career. Gibb died after a long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery, his spokesperson confirmed via a statement.

After the Arab Spring, Saudi rulers still have a firm hand on the country and its oil wealth. But in a country known for its restrictions, many people here are speaking openly about the need for democratic change.

The sophistication of congressional speech-making is on the decline, according to the open government group the Sunlight Foundation. Since 2005, the average grade level at which members of Congress speak has fallen by almost a full grade.

For much of the western U.S. and Asia, the rare celestial event was quite a show. Were you in its path?