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Middle East

USAID Chief Sees No End to Darfur Crisis

NPR's Michelle Kelemen reports on a recent visit by the head of USAID, America's international aid agency, to the Darfur region of Sudan. Andrew Natsios predicts that the crisis will continue, in part because of the Sudanese government's complicity in ethnic violence.

USAID Chief Sees No End to Darfur Crisis

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Boston-Area Parishioners Defy Church Closures

A movement to defy the closure of Catholic churches in the Boston area is gaining steam. Parishoners are occupying two churches the Diocese has officially closed. They're holding prayer services, and refusing to leave. Monica Brady-Myerov reports.

Boston-Area Parishioners Defy Church Closures

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'The Book of Customs': A Jewish Guide for Americans

NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates talks with Scott-Martin Kosofsky about his new work, The Book of Customs: A Complete Handbook for the Jewish Year. The author researched several centuries-old guidebooks on Jewish rituals and customs to write a contemporary version for American readers.

'The Book of Customs': A Jewish Guide for Americans

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Iraq

British Muslims Lobby for Iraq Hostage Release

NPR's Alex Chadwick talks with Daud Abdullah, assistant secretary to the Muslim Council of Britain, about that group's recent journey to Iraq to press for the release of kidnapped British contractor Ken Bigley.

British Muslims Lobby for Iraq Hostage Release

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Gay Marriage on the Ballot

As nine states vote this November on whether to ban same-sex marriage, gay rights groups are pinning their hopes on Oregon, a state known for pioneering social policies. But in Oregon, it's a tight race that could go either way. Colin Fogarty of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.

Gay Marriage on the Ballot

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Brooklyn Priest Offers Support in Devastated Haiti

NPR's Noah Adams speaks to Father Jean-Miguel Auguste, a Catholic priest based in Brooklyn, New York, who traveled to Haiti to offer whatever consolation he can to the survivors of Hurricane Jeanne.

Brooklyn Priest Offers Support in Devastated Haiti

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Law

Bishop Indicted for Sex Abuse

A Massachusetts grand jury indicts former Springfield Bishop Thomas Dupre for allegedly molesting two boys in the 1970s. But prosecutors have dropped the case, saying the statute of limitations on the crimes has expired. Hear Amy Mayer of member station WFCR.

Ex-Bishop Indicted for Sex Abuse; Charges Dropped

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Books

'Fallen Order' Tells of the Rise and Fall of a Brotherhood

NPR's Liane Hansen talks with historian Karen Liebreich about her new book Fallen Order. Lieberich's unprecedented access to the Vatican's Secret Archives brings to life a sexual abuse scandal that surrounded the Catholic Church's Patron Saint of Education over 400 years ago.

'Fallen Order' Tells of the Rise and Fall of a Brotherhood

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National

Aid Workers Struggle to Help Sudan's Refugees

The United Nations says aid workers are having trouble assessing and responding to the needs of the 1.2 million Sudanese fleeing battles between government-backed militias and ethnic black Africans. The United Nations has threatened economic sanctions against the country. NPR's Tavis Smiley discusses new developments in Sudan with Emily Wax, the Africa correspondent for The Washington Post and TransAfrica Forum President Bill Fletcher.

Aid Workers Struggle to Help Sudan's Refugees

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Jewish, Christian Groups Compete for Members

NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports on a Presbyterian church that uses the trappings of Jewish services and says that believers can stay Jewish while also following the teachings of Jesus.

Jewish, Christian Groups Compete for Members

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World

India's Muslim Population Outpacing Hindus

Hindu activists are in an uproar over the first detailed census of Indians based on religion. The survey reveals the Muslim population is growing much faster than the Hindu majority. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

India's Muslim Population Outpacing Hindus

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Music Interviews

The Gospel According to Chanticleer

Chanticleer, an all-male a capella group best known for its classical repertoire, has released How Sweet the Sound, its second CD of gospel music and African-American spirituals. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.

The Gospel According to Chanticleer

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Law

Kansas Bible Study Rift Spurs Lawsuit

A Christian students group at Washburn University in Kansas refused to allow a Mormon student to lead a Bible study. The Mormon student complained, and the school backed him and withdrew the club's subsidy. The group has now filed a lawsuit. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports.

Kansas Bible Study Rift Spurs Lawsuit

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The First Crusade

A noble mission to free the holy land, or a gigantic expedition of plunder and murder? Some 900 years ago, 10,000 Christians answered the pope's call and set off for Jerusalem. We discuss the crusade that transformed relations with the Islamic world forever.

The First Crusade

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