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When a bicyclist is killed by a car, the tragedy is sometimes marked by fellow cyclists with memorials known as "ghost bikes." Cyclists sand, repaint and decorate the bikes before installing them at crash sites as a sort of roadside shrine.

Until recently, inmates with life sentences — most for murder — were rarely released from prison, regardless of their behavior. But a 2008 court case and a new governor have changed their odds.

As the U.S. recovers from the Great Recession, one fact that's emerging is that while jobs are coming back, most of these jobs are either high- or low-paying jobs. Middle-class jobs are not coming back, and it's evident in towns across the Midwest like Lincoln, Ill.

Some of the biggest banks in the country have agreed to pay more than $18 billion to settle allegations of wrongdoing in their mortgage lending. And in a separate settlement, 10 banks agreed to pay more than $8 billion to settle claims they made errors in foreclosing on people's homes.

Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the Middle East last week marked a small but, some believe, significant shift in American policy on Syria. On the surface, the U.S. has announced it is stepping up aid to the Syrian opposition and its armed wing. But look closely, analysts say, and you'll see that the U.S. is more willing to tip the scales against the Syrian regime.

Novelist Matthew Quick finds the funny side of a mental patient's recovery, while Anthony Horowitz reimagines Sherlock Holmes. In nonfiction, comedian Darrell Hammond recounts his traumatic childhood, Regis Philbin tracks his rise to TV greatness, and MTV gets its own history book.

A new play tells the story of the night Cassius Clay, who changed his name to Muhammad Ali, beat Sonny Liston to take the world heavyweight title. It takes place in a hotel room after the fight where Clay, Sam Cooke, Malcolm X and Jim Brown talk about their lives, and their hopes for the future.

Juarez, Mexico — terrifyingly violent a few years ago — is quieter now. But life across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, is still difficult for many.

Journalist Hooman Majd's new book, The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay, was inspired by the year he and his young American family spent in Tehran, where Majd was born. He tells Fresh Air about the country's long-standing tradition of sulking, and what sets Tehran apart from most other Islamic metropolises.

The humorist has made a name as a playwright, novelist, columnist and screenwriter. Now he's turned his attention to the Young Adult market with an update of the Cinderella story — starring a young girl from a trailer park.

Kenya's winning marathoners mainly fill up on high-carb vegetarian dishes like ugali, a cornmeal mush, and githeri, boiled corn and kidney beans. It's a bland diet, but it seems to help them excel at middle- and long-distance running.

Bamboo is now being used to make everything from bicycles to bathroom tissue. Now there's a movement afoot to begin growing the crop on a wide-scale basis in Alabama.