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The appeal of soccer's quadrennial World Cup tournament baffles many Americans. With the world's greatest soccer players convening in Germany for the monthlong FIFA World Cup 2006 — where the United States team has hopes of contending for a top spot — we have tips for potential Cup viewers.

When he was President Bush's top budget advisor, Mitch Daniels had a reputation as a tax-cutter. But since becoming Indiana's governor, he has proposed a tax increase to help solve the state's budget troubles.

With his band the Belmonts, singer-songwriter Dion rose to fame as a '60s teen idol, topping charts with hits like "The Wanderer" and "I Wonder Why." The latest album in his long career is Heroes: Giants Of Early Guitar Rock.

A British artist named Banksy has been able to sneak his work into some of New York's top museums over the past month. He tells Michele Norris what he does and why.

Steve Martin is at the top of his game. He has just been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, at the same time that his newest movie, Shopgirl, is winning strong reviews around the country.

The legendary songwriting trio, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland wrote many early Motown hits, and helped turn the company into powerhouse. Their songs include "You Can't Hurry Love," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Baby, I Need Your Loving," "Heat Wave," and "Stop! In the Name of Love." Their songs were recorded by Diana Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, and Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. In 1990 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Pfizer drug company agrees to pay a $430 million fine and plead guilty to illegal marketing practices, U.S. prosecutors say. The unprecedented fine comes after the company admitted that its Warner-Lambert unit promoted Neurontin, an epilepsy drug, for several unapproved uses. The drug remains a top seller for Pfizer, with 2003 sales of $2.7 billion. NPR's Snigdha Prakash reports.

Formed in Dallas, the Old 97's were long pigeonholed as an alt-country band. They never were — just a rocking quartet with a terrific songwriter up top. They've just put out their best album in seven years.

Pianist Chuck Leavell made a name for himself as a rock 'n' roll musician and pianist-for-hire for top bands like the Rolling Stones and Blues Traveler. When he's not on tour, Leavell tends to his other passion -- he's an award-winning tree farmer. Morning Edition host Bob Edwards talks with Leavell about how this rock musician became interested in tree farming.

The hostility that has characterized the China-Taiwan relationship for the past year seems to have abated. NPR's Rob Gifford tells Noah Adams that this week Taiwan allowed the first legal direct shipping from Taiwanese-held islands to mainland China. And Taiwan's top policymaker indicated China might be more flexible than in the past on the issue of one China. China always has insisted that Taiwan accept the concept of one China, including Taiwan, with Beijing as the capital. But in an interview yesterday, a high-level official indicated Beijing might consider a broader definition of what constitutes one China.