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Scott Weems' book HA! explores the science of when we laugh and why. He describes the part of your brain that's active when you laugh, and the controversy over whether ducks are funnier than chickens.

NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr discusses the shape of the administration to come with E.J. Dionne, a columnist for the Washington Post and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; and with David Brooks, senior editor at the Weekly Standard.

Now married and a mother, the Grammy-winning songwriter says she's more aware than ever of the habits that allow her to stay productive.

Tropical Storm Frances makes its second landfall in Florida, churning into the state's panhandle after regrouping over the Gulf of Mexico. The storm first struck the state two days ago as a category two hurricane, drenching towns and cutting power to millions. In central Florida, residents have started to emerge from their shelters to begin cleaning up. Hear NPR's Ari Shapiro.

Way back before the Dixie Chicks' multiplatinum records -- and the arena tours -- there were two musical sisters growing up in Dallas. Martie Erwin on fiddle. Her younger sister Emily on banjo. They became the instrumental heart of the Dixie Chicks, but now they're playing in their own group as well, writing songs about motherhood and growing older.

Apollo Sunshine blends '60s psychedelic folk with the arena rock hugeness of the '70s and the lo-fi noise pop aesthetics of '90s groups like My Bloody Valentine or the Olivia Tremor Control. The cover art for the Boston, Mass.-based trio's third record, Shall Noise Upon, depicts a Jackson Pollock-like, color-splattered globe surrounded by constellations of religious and spiritual icons from every corner of the earth. The image suggests the record somehow takes the disparate cultures of a large world and unifies them into a single, genre-breaking, stargazing album. It may seem like an impossibly lofty goal, but the songs deliver.

The elder statesman of West Coast rap says his new single is punchlines and fun. Don't overthink it.

The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in 2002, mandated standardized testing in the nation's public schools to establish a measure of accountability among states and school districts for the academic performance of their students. The pressures of such testing are most acutely felt among the schools which perennially have low scores, like Northwestern High School in Baltimore.

The photographer captured some of the most enduring images of the Great Depression. Linda Gordon, author of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits, says Lange had the power to draw people out, but she herself was very private.

Growing up in Yazoo City, Miss., Caroline Langston started her lifelong obsession with weddings — especially those of the Southern variety — at an early age. Here are her three books with brides, bouquets and shrimp remoulade.

After more than 18 years at the helm of the nation's economy, Alan Greenspan steps down Tuesday. As head of the Federal Reserve, Greenspan presided over the longest economic expansion in U.S. history.

In last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama proposed something radical, that dropping out of high school no longer be allowed. But that…