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Trains with steam engines have vanished in most parts of the country, replaced by diesel. But in parts of West Virginia, sounds of steam locomotive whistles can still be heard. In this edition of Lost and Found Sound, NPR’s Noah Adams said those sounds echo across the landscape like the sound of a century passing.

Attorney General John Ashcroft refuses senators' demands for copies of legal memos, prepared by Bush administration lawyers in 2002 and 2003, that reportedly state the president has the right to order torture in his role as commander in chief. Ashcroft said his advice to the president must remain confidential.

The final battle for Mariupol is taking place inside the Azovstal steel plant, a massive coastal complex in the besieged city. Hundreds of civilians are still trapped inside, officials say.

This past April, a group of oceanographers was part of an expedition off the coast of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. They were studying various aspects of the Mariana volcanic arc. While on board their ship, they witnessed the underwater eruption of a volcano. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Dave Butterfield, one of the oceanographers who witnessed the eruption.

Getting ready to play assassin Jason Bourne, the boyish-looking Matt Damon had to figure out a way to portray a tough guy. So he trained in boxing to change the way he walked. Damon discusses the complexities and challenges of acting with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Jennifer Wing of member station KPLU in Seattle, Wash., reports on a Web site for school children across the country -- RateMyTeachers.com -- that allows them to "grade" their teachers.

The collaboration of guitarist Phil Wandscher and singer Jesse Sykes started from the ashes of broken bands. Wandscher had been fired from the legendary alternative country band Whiskeytown, which he started with Ryan Adams. Jesse Sykes' band Hominy had dissolved around the same time her marriage came to an end. Now the two are featuring Wandscher's lyrical guitar style and Sykes' smoke-tinged voice. Critic Meredith Ochs reviews their CD, from Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter called Oh, My Girl.

Helen Hartness Flanders spent 35 years preserving Vermont's vanishing folk songs. She eventually collected more than 4,000 songs by carrying sound equipment to remote corners of the state -- and by charming residents into singing for her.

Howlin' Wolf electrified the blues of the Mississippi Delta and laid a foundation for rock 'n' roll in the early 1950s. His lyrics, delivered in a gruff, haunting voice, evoked his hard-life experiences.

There are close to half a dozen investigations into abuse of detainees by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and in each of these probes, the military is investigating itself. Some experts say that's appropriate, because only the military has the expertise to investigate violations of its procedures. But other experts say there should be an independent, bipartisan commission to conduct an overarching investigation -- one that reaches to the highest levels of government. NPR's Jackie Northam reports.