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Deanna Witkowski draws on a variety of influences — from Chopin to Cole Porter to a relatively unknown Brazilian rhythm called baião. It's no wonder the pianist finds her music going in different directions — sometimes within the same song — as in her "Wide Open Window." Hear Liane Hansen's performance chat with Witkowski in NPR's Studio 4A.

Brenda Tremblay of member station WXXI reports that many people in the city of Rochester, New York, are reading the same book. People in supermarkets and malls wear pins that say they're reading, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. Its the story of a young black man wrongly sentenced to death. Rochester's mayor says its allowing residents to talk about race relations in a way they'd usually avoid.

Ancient traditions and beliefs of the peoples of Mesoamerica influence Symphony No. 7 - A Toltec Symphony, composed by Philip Glass as a commissioned tribute to Leonard Slatkin, musical director of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Recorded in Muscle Shoals, Ala., the country rock band's new album is a triumphant comeback.

Although mental health care for returning soldiers has vastly improved in the past 30 years, many within the government's medical community say they are barely able to treat veterans from previous conflicts. Funding for Veterans Affairs' mental health services has been slashed since the mid-1990s, and more cuts are looming. NPR's Daniel Zwerdling reports.

The rapper was convicted of assault by a Swedish court but will serve no additional jail time in a case that has drawn widespread attention from the music industry and President Trump.

Singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke is something of an underground sensation, with an adoring fan base built largely on word of mouth and extensive touring with her band. Hear five full-length cuts from her recent performance in NPR's Studio 4A, and view a video of Brooke and her band performing the title track to her latest CD, Steady Pull.

Director John Waters, known for making art from sleaze, has a new CD for the season, A John Waters Christmas. It includes such songs as "Here Comes Fatty Claus" and "Little Mary Christmas" — all from the man once crowned the "Pope of Trash" by William Burroughs.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to a landmark $660 million settlement that will give more than $1 million each to hundreds of people who say they were sexually abused by clergy. It's the largest payout to date in the church's sexual abuse scandal.

The WikiLeaks founder argues that the "NSA leaker" has exposed "mass unlawful interception" of individuals' phone calls and Internet messages. But key lawmakers made the case again Sunday that Edward Snowden should be returned to the U.S. to face prosecution.