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They are jobs nobody would seem to want -- but somebody has to do them. As Morning Edition kicks off its "Dirty Work" series, NPR's David Molpus looks at the hot and sticky job of cleaning out oil storage tanks.

Istalif, an hour's drive north of Kabul, sits in the heart of Shomali Plain, once the breadbasket of Afghanistan. The Taliban forced hundreds of thousands of people from the region and destroyed their farms, shops and homes. Now the villagers are starting to return. On Morning Edition, Renee Montagne reports on their efforts in the debut of a series on rebuilding Afghanistan.

Running 135 miles across Death Valley and halfway up a mountain -- all in the middle of summer -- sounds a bit crazy, if not life-threatening. NPR's Andy Bowers reports for All Things Considered on the motivations of some of the 79 runners who this July competed in what's often called the toughest foot race in the world: the Badwater Ultramarathon.

It's been three-quarters of a century since the Carter Family made its first recordings in Bristol, Tenn. The music of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and her cousin Maybelle influenced countless country, folk and bluegrass artists. On Morning Edition, host Bob Edwards interviews the co-author of a new book about the Carter Family's musical legacy.

Depending on which proud relative you talk to, the hamburger was invented at a state fair, a world's fair or a lunch counter. But whoever gave the burger its start probably never imagined how popular it would become. Monday on Morning Edition, NPR's Pam Fessler has the juicy story as part of the Present at the Creation series.

While much of the desert Southwest has converted to water-wise landscaping, Phoenix has been slow to come around. NPR's Ketzel Levine, the Doyenne of Dirt, talks to some avant-gardeners who are taking heat for digging up their lawns.

NPR's Jacki Lyden visits Castle Leslie, made famous when Paul McCartney was married there, and finds an 84-year-old disco-dancing host and his collection of ghostly artifacts.

A new study offers even more evidence that hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women is risky. Researchers say women taking estrogen-only pills are at greater risk for ovarian cancer. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports for All Things Considered.

Diane Arbus' mysterious photo of girl twins is one of modern photography's most recognizable images. On Morning Edition, as part of NPR's Present at the Creation series, Madeleine Brand has the story behind the famous 1967 photo of sisters who are identical but not the same.

All Things Considered asked NPR listeners to send in questions about the conflict over Kashmir, and then posed those questions to South Asia scholars. Hear the experts' answers, and see their suggestions for online resources on the Kashmir region and conflict.