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Hamas formally takes power as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas swears in the 24-member cabinet. Israel and much of the international community say Hamas is a terrorist organization and they will cut aid to the Palestinian Authority. Members of the new government say their goal is to serve their people.

Most retrospectives of 1967's "Summer of Love" skimmed over the emergence of soul and R&B music. Pop culture expert Mark Anthony Neal talks about the political and social significance of the music.

Astronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis went on their third space walk Saturday to repair the Hubble space telescope's camera and install new equipment. Guest host Rebecca Roberts talks about how the Hubble has impacted the world of astronomy with astronomer Dave Rodrigues, also known as the AstroWizard.

To celebrate Christmas, Fresh Air listens back to a concert given by the late singer and actress on Feb. 11, 1997. Clooney spoke then with Terry Gross about her childhood, being on the road as a young performer with her sister, and working with Bing Crosby and Billy Strayhorn.

President Barack Obama traveled to Elkhart, Ind., for a town hall meeting to promote the economic stimulus package. The administration hopes the city's poor economic situation will help ease the bill's passage after a week of partisan bickering.

A Congressional subcommittee on Wednesday had a hearing with two witnesses who warned the Bush administration against harsh interrogation techniques. One is Ali Soufan, the FBI agent who interrogated Abu Zubaydah. The other is Philip Zelikow, the State Department official who protested that there was no legal basis for justifying the techniques.

The death of journalist Ruben Salazar was a catalyst for the nascent Chicano-rights movement. It is still at the center of deeply held belief that he was purposely killed by LA law enforcement.

Jay-Z is one of the most successful hip-hop artists of all time. On Fresh Air, he discusses growing up in Brooklyn surrounded by drugs and violence, and the stories behind many of his famous songs.

Bestselling author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou is considered to be among the greatest writers alive today. In this week's Wisdom Watch, Angelou talks — and sings — about why she feels proud to be an American woman of color. Her latest book is A Song Flung Up to Heaven, the final volume of her memoirs.

Rickie Lee Jones' first original album in four years comes with a little heaven-sent inspiration. The Grammy Award winner's new album, The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard, was inspired by the words of Jesus, and tells stories of the worldly and the divine.

In his short but brilliant career, he pioneered a new standard of rapid-fire virtuosity on the electric bass and helped bridge the jazz and pop music of his day. Close collaborators offer a retrospective on Jaco Pastorius.

A sign in Springfield, Mass. warns young Latinos: "No Hangear" -- don't hang out on this corner. Spanglish -- a cross between Spanish and English -- it seems, is everywhere. NPR's Bob Edwards talks with Ilan Stavans, author of a new book, Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language. Hear a Spanglish translation of Don Quixote.