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The District of Columbia has developed plans to deal with a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. But much depends on local neighborhood officials, and some are not so confident about their ability to cope.

With the peak of the winter lettuce-growing season in Southern California coming in Janury, a labor shortage is prompting fears of rotting crops. Growers say better border enforcement and better jobs have led to fewer migrant workers.

Florence Nightingale once warned about a major cruelty inflicted on sick people: unnecessary noise. And despite advances in medicine, researchers say today's hospitals are still as noisy as bus stations. But at Johns Hopkins Hospital, engineers are trying to create some peace and quiet.

NPR's Bob Mondello has an appreciation of playwright August Wilson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas, Fences and The Piano Lesson. Wilson died Sunday of liver cancer in Seattle. Mondello says that Wilson's dialogue was "musical" -- inspired by the blues and lyrical in its phrasing.

President Bush signed a sweeping energy bill into law Monday, and proponents say it should make the nation's electrical grid more reliable. But opponents contend the measure will make it easier for utility companies to play accounting games.

Nashville singer/songwriter Jeff Black travels long hours to perform in clubs around the country. But he's also trying to broaden his audience with a weekly podcast that he hosts.

Unocal's shareholders approve sale of the company to rival Chevron. The transaction was overshadowed by a failed bid for Unocal by a Chinese energy company.

Patients who don't want to go to the doctor -- or are unable to go -- have an alternate resource for medical tests. Commercial testing companies provide exams for cholesterol, HIV or DNA without a prescription.

The Department of Energy launches a campaign to promote energy conservation as the home-heating season approaches. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says energy-saving steps can help consumers trim high heating costs this winter. Critics say the administration's emphasis on conservation is long overdue.

Harriet Miers, nominated Monday to succeed Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, is considered one of President Bush's closest and most loyal advisers.