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Broadcast TV used to have bigger stars, bigger audiences and bigger budgets. Cable shows were edgier, with more sex and violence than the broadcasters dared show. In the last few seasons, though, cable ratings have improved and broadcast shows have taken more risks. What's going on on TV?

The number of kids with dangerous levels of lead in their blood hasn't declined much in the past decade, as the government has remained focused on managing lead-based paint. Now researchers argue that more attention to contaminated soil is needed to prevent lead poisoning.

On his new album, The North Borders, the British composer and DJ uses samples from the outside world, like the sound of a truck's air brakes, to push the idea of what can create melody and rhythm.

Guns and America were born around the same time and grew up together. Columbus and other early explorers were probably the first Europeans to bring guns to the New World, archaeologists say. And the arquebus — a long-barreled, musket-like weapon — was most likely the first personal firearm on mainland America.

From the radiant voices of a Latvian choir to a fresh young string quartet and a seasoned symphony, NPR's Tom Huizenga and host Jacki Lyden spin an eclectic mix of new classical releases.

Senate staffers say a bipartisan agreement has yet to be reached on universal background checks, and that snarl may end up delaying a vote on gun legislation for another week. Lobbyists on both sides of the debate are using the extra time to keep the pressure on.

Instead of stepping out into the world, many young adults are moving back in with family. "How can someone who makes 300 euros a month ever be independent?" one unemployed 24-year-old asks.

The war became much more personal for the U.S. Embassy and most of the journalists in Afghanistan when word came out that one of the five Americans killed by a suicide bomber in Zabul province on Saturday was 25-year-old Anne Smedinghoff. NPR's Sean Carberry says her death reminds the American community in Afghanistan of their bonds with one another.

More than 1 million fans illegally downloaded the first episode of Season 3 of the popular HBO series this week — within 24 hours of its premiere. The illicit popularity of the show, based on George R.R. Martin's best-selling fantasy books, has wider implications for the future of TV.

It's been a busy week in college basketball, complete with a Cinderella, a gruesome injury and a head coach's exit. We wonder: How do colleges spin the unpredictable news of sports?