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In swamps and wetlands all over the South, fat, furry rodents called nutria -- a beaver-like animal native to Argentina -- are devouring small plants and sparking huge erosion problems. NPR's Melanie Peeples meets with some Louisiana trappers who earn $4 from the state government for each nutria they kill.

NPR's Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg explores the origins of the Christmas anthem, "White Christmas" written by Irving Berlin to an initially lackluster response from critics.

As racially divisive remarks force Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) to quit as Senate Republican leader, it's expected Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) will be confirmed Monday as his successor. Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) calls for "a new spirit of unification" in the GOP. Hear NPR's Brian Naylor, NPR's Scott Simon and Robert Bork, Jr., a specialist in PR crisis management.

While the Empire State Building may no longer be the tallest in the world, it is still the iconic skyscraper. Going above and beyond the observation deck, NPR's Peter Breslow investigates the history of the Empire State Building for the Present at the Creation series.

With the new year, new federal rules require every U.S. airport to screen all checked luggage for explosives. The new regulations mean travelers will need to re-think how they pack. Hear NPR's Janet Babin and Jonathan Proctor, editor of Airliners magazine.

This is a repeat of Terry Gross' now-infamous interview with the Kiss band member. The band rose to prominence and popularity in the mid 1970s. They were known for their Halloweenish face paint, black-leather outfits, platform heels and grandiose stage shows where Simmons spit blood, belched fire and stuck out his seven-inch tongue. Simmons' autobiography is Kiss and Make-Up which details his early years growing up in Israel and later Brooklyn. This interview first aired February 4, 2002.

A Clonaid official backpedals on providing evidence of the company's claim that a cloned infant has been born. Clonaid's CEO says the mother of the child born Dec. 26 is wavering on providing a DNA sample key to establishing genetic proof. Scientists remain skeptical of Clonaid's claim. Hear from NPR's Joe Palca and James Randi, who is devoted to debunking pseudoscientific claims.

Many in the Latino immigrant communities of Los Angeles continue to celebrate Christmas through today, the Feast of the Epiphany. NPR's Mandalit Del Barco visits the elaborate and detailed homemade nativity scenes that decorate yards in East L.A.

In the late 1960s he founded the MC5, a Detroit band considered to be the prototype for punk rock. By 1972 the band had burned out. In between then and now, Kramer did time in jail for drugs, teamed up with Don and David Was to found the group Was (Not Was), and began a solo career. His new solo album is Adult World. This interview first aired August 20, 2002.

John Cephas and Phil Wiggins are two musicians from different generations who have played Piedmont blues together for 25 years. The two perform their music and talk with NPR's Scott Simon about their distinctive brand of the blues.