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NPR'S Margot Adler reports that there are more tourists in New York City than ever before. Thirty million so far this year, one million just for Christmas week. Traffic too seems more congested. While there are some obvious explanations for the surge...like crime is down and the economy is up... nobody is certain just why the city has become such a tourist sensation.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports from San Francisco on a suit brought by a Russian lesbian against the U.S. government after her request for asylum was turned down. The 34-year-old woman argues that she will be persecuted if returned to Russia. She is one a dozens of homosexuals who have been seeking asylum here recently on the basis of their sexual orientation.

John Reznikoff collects hair. The president of University Archives, a company that buys and sells valuable manuscripts, currently has 101 hair locks in his collection that originate from a wide range of celebrities, from George and Martha Washington to Geronimo to England's King Charles I. Daniel talks with Reznikoff, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who is currently allowing some of his hair samples to be used for their DNA in "DNA Jewelry," which Reznikoff is now marketing.

The People Versus Larry Flynt. The movie is the story of the publisher of Hustler magazine, and the clash between pornography and the First Amendment.

FederalOfficials today launched an all-out attack on state initiatives legalizing the medical use of marijuana and other recreational drugs. Attorney General Janet Reno said she'd enforce federal laws against doctors who prescribe pot for patients. But as Joe Palca reports, the debate over the medical value of marijuana is far from settled.

A bomb ripped through an express train carrying at least 1,200 passengers in northeastern India today. Local officials fear that several dozen people may have died in the blast. The BBC's Subhir Baumik has this report.

Items like toys, jewelry and clothing sold well, but despite expectations of big holiday spending, sales don't look much better than last year.

Wendy Kaufman reports on near-record snow and ice in the Pacific Northwest that has cut power to hundreds of thousands of people, stranded many more, and brought cities to a grinding halt.

reports on a unique musical contribution the pioneer Mormons made to western folklore -- music about the making of a new civilization... and about the trials the Mormons underwent for their beliefs.

Israeli and Palestinian authorities are now poised to sign an agreement for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank town of Hebron. The agreement marks a significant step forward in the Middle East peace process, which has been bogged down since the election of right wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last May. Daniel speaks with Hebron Mayor Mustafa Natsche and an Israeli settler, David Wilder, about their rival visions of peace.