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A coordinated series of worldwide parties commemorates the first human space flight by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on this date in 1961. NPR's Alex Chadwick talks to George Whiteside, the organizer of the event, and Tony Watson, a deejay who will link the parties with the music he plays on the Internet.

Lisa visits the Public Theater in New York for a rehearsal of Top Dog/Underdog a new play by Suzan-Lori Parks. The play features two guys named Lincoln and Booth who live in a claustrophobic New York apartment. It's directed by George C. Wolfe, and stars Jeffrey Wright and Don Cheadle.

NPR's John Nielsen reports on the growing number of radical eco-terrorist groups. These groups advocate sabotage and economic injury as the only ways to get the attention of the organizations they are fighting. The extreme strategies of these groups -- from arson to the mass destruction of bioengineered plants -- have some in the field afraid to go to work.

The Blind Boys of Alabama have been singing gospel for more than 60 years. But with their new CD, the group puts a reverent spin on some blues standards. NPR's David D'Arcy reports that the Blind Boys can turn just about any song into a gospel song — as long as the words are sacred.

In the second part of his interview with blues guitarist Eric Clapton, NPR's Tom Cole talks to Clapton about what the musician calls his "first language"--- the blues.

Noah Adams talks with Marty Justis, Director of the Americanism and Children and Youth Division of the American Legion, about "The Flag Code." The code was voted into law by Congress in 1942, establishing rules for displaying the American flag.

Journalist David Brock, who attacked the credibility of law professor Anita Hill, now says he printed lies about Hill following her testimony against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Nina Totenberg talks to Brock about the confession, detailed in a forthcoming book.

The original music video network, MTV, turns 20 today, and host David Kestenbaum reports on its influence on the music industry and American pop culture. Some call it revolutionary, but critics blame MTV for cheapening music by emphasizing image over art. Regardless, the network has had a huge effect on music, film, television... and millions of American teenagers.

NPR's Robert Siegel spoke with Mary Anne Weaver, who penned a profile of Phoolan Devi, the wildly popular member of India's Parliament. The 1994 Indian movie Bandit Queen, which told the remarkable story of Devi's life, solidified her image as a heroine to members of India's lower castes.

Host Cheryl Corley talks with author and NPR Commentator Bebe Moore Campbell about her latest book, What You Owe Me. The story of betrayal and reconciliation centers on the hot marketplace for African-American beauty products and takes its characters from the late 1940's to the present.