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Marin Alsop, conductor of the Colorado Symphony, gives a behind-the-scenes look at a percussion concerto called UFO, by American composer Michael Daugherty. The piece was written for the soloist Evelyn Glennie, who talks with Alsop about some of the unorthodox instruments that make up a percussionist's arsenal.

The Freedom to Vote Act was a unified Democratic effort led in part by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who was trying to get Republican support. Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell vocally opposed it.

Scott Simon and Weekend Edition entertainment critic Elvis Mitchell discuss new DVDs now available at the video store. Picks from Elvis include the British claymation film Rex the Runt and the movie Unfaithful, starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere.

Some states are revisiting laws requiring drug offenders to serve long prison terms. Some legislators say the laws put too many nonviolent criminals behind bars and strain the penal system. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

North Korea's ambassador to China rejects any U.S. preconditions on talks. But he demanded North Korea's own precondition before it would agree to shut down its nuclear program -- a nonaggression treaty with Washington. Anthony Kuhn reports.

The director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory resigns, along with his top deputy, amid Department of Energy accusations that managers ignored fraud and theft by lab employees. The DOE spends $1.5 billion a year to run the lab, birthplace of the atom bomb. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.

Each year, U.S. tourist attractions recruit thousands of foreign workers. But in some places --such as Lake Placid, N.Y. -- foreign workers aren't so welcome. Critics say the influx from abroad keeps wages low and makes it hard to earn a decent living. Brian Mann of North Country Public Radio reports.

China is setting some lofty goals. For the first time, the nation prepares to send people into space. They'll be called Taikonauts. Robert Siegel and Lynn Neary explain.

Commentator Aaron Freeman hopes he caused his sister's brain tumor. When they were children, he kicked her in the head. As an adult, she developed the tumor. The exact cause isn't certain, but the other probable cause is genetic - and the gene is linked to breast cancer - so he hopes that it is the kick, and not the gene, that is the culprit.

Pianist and singer Vienna Teng recorded most of her debut full-length CD, Waking Hour, while studying computer science at Stanford University. After graduating in 2000, Teng took a job as a computer engineer, but quit this past spring to perform her music around the country. NPR's Liane Hansen talks with Teng about her music.