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Don't look at me! In Minnesota, lawmakers are banned from making eye contact during debate. The idea is it leads to more civility. But does it? And what can animal science teach us about it?

Thousands of people are imprisoned for decades, if not life, because of tough drug sentences. Now judges, lawyers and advocates ask whether it's time to dial back those penalties.

Science writer Carl Zimmer profiles the scientists who are developing new antiviral drugs. Also, a conversation with the Farrelly Brothers about the new Three Stooges movie and Ken Tucker reviews a new album from Loudon Wainwright.

Commentator John Moe takes on the word "friend," a big word with a shifting definition. His band, Chicken Starship, has a MySpace page. And among the people listed as their friends are Elvis Costello, The Dixie Chicks, and Lucinda Williams. John knows that They Might Be Giants won't drive him to the airport -- but their friendship has to count for something.

While you're working on your last-minute Contest entry (the deadline is this Sunday, April 14), check out these videos below to see what's caught our attention lately.

The law enforcement community is beginning to press an effort to amend communications law to cover their access to conversations on new technologies -- like Skype, BlackBerry and Facebook -- to keep pace with the way criminal and terrorism suspects are talking to each other. The initiative, in its early stages, is sure to face strong head winds from privacy advocates.

No musician with classical ties has had Glass' reach or success.

KALWSunrise in San Francisco: 7:02 a.m. Sunset: 5:46 p.m.Day Length: 10 hours, 43+1/2-minutesMoonrise: 8:07 a.m. Moonset: 8:48 p.m.Today is: Mardi Gras!…

More than 400 people have been killed from the storm and subsequent flooding across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Hitching a ride at the side of the road used to be a common practice, but now it's rarely heard of. So where have all the hitchhikers gone, and what does hitching look like in modern-day America?

Pakistan has long supported militants fighting to its east in India and to its west in Afghanistan. The country says it's cracking down on militants, but many critics are skeptical.

Portland's NBA team is riding a hot streak. Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Tom Goldman about the Trail Blazers, a new champion in chess, and how John F. Kennedy's assassination set a precedent for how sports commissioners handle cancelling games after tragedies.