Samples from Dry Soda, Spindrift, Q and Veri Organic, four small companies that are trying to win back soda lovers by lowering the sugar. Maggie Starbard/NPR hide caption

What's that salmon doing in the bike lane? Leif Parsons for NPR hide caption

A Muslim pilgrim wears a mask in Mecca to protect against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in October 2013. Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Shut up and suffer, or split? iStockphoto hide caption

Jackfruits grow on the branches and trunks of tall trees. You don't wait to harvest until they drop of their own accord — by that time, they'd be overripe. iStockphoto hide caption

Gado Labbo holds her 5-year-old son, Yusuf, at a clinic in Dareta, Nigeria. In 2010, when Yusuf first entered the clinic, he had a blood lead level 30 times higher than the amount the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers dangerous. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

Jelly Belly says its most popular flavors include the savory-sweet Buttered Popcorn and Very Cherry. Meg Vogel/NPR hide caption

TV host Samantha Harris says she will have a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. But the surgery doesn't eliminate cancer risk. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP hide caption

Factories that got the all-clear now produce quinoa that will bear the OU-P symbol, meaning they're kosher for Passover. Iryna Melnyk/iStockphoto hide caption

A recent study reported that poor dental hygiene and excessive use of mouthwash containing alcohol could increase the risk of oral cancer. iStockphoto hide caption

Recalculating ... Katherine Streeter for NPR hide caption

Marc Silver and his daughter Maya wrote a book about how teens deal with a parent sick with cancer. Richard Nowitz/Courtesy of Marc Silver hide caption