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He had gigs before and enjoyed prominent freelance work afterward. But the mellow saxophone and flute player's career was kickstarted by spending more than a decade in the front row of Count Basie's "New Testament" band.

The famed author and illustrator broke the rules of American children's literature in the '50s and '60s, but many Americans have never heard of him. The documentary Far Out Isn't Far Enough — now out on DVD — looks at his life and work. (Originally broadcast July 1, 2013.)

Highway engineer George Thornton, who led a 1970 operation to blow up the dead whale on a beach, died this week at age 84. Thornton's decision resulted in a foul shower of whale blubber. Whenever video of the unlikely event resurfaces, some viewers declare it a hoax.

The father of suspect Paul Anthony Ciancia reportedly called police early Friday concerned that his son had sent a text message mentioning suicide.

About Time, written and directed by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), follows a young man looking for love — with a little help from time-travel. NPR's Bob Mondello says that in this instance, time travel and romantic comedy don't necessarily blend well together.

KPFK's global music DJ recently visited Brazil, and he brings NPR's Arun Rath a stack of new music he discovered there.

The rate of heroin use is up, and federal data show that nearly 80 percent of people using it had previously abused prescription painkillers. The drugs have similar effects, and curbing painkiller abuse may help stymie the draw to heroin.

The legal battle over the New York City Police Department's controversial policy took a dramatic turn last week. A federal judge had ruled the practice unconstitutional, but an appeals court put that order on hold. What will happen next will partly depend on who New York's next mayor is.

As a way to bring new people to the chuch, a few mainline churches are experimenting with informal services centered around craft beer. The result is not sloshed congregants; rather, it's an attempt to do church differently.

The country's interior minister said the attack was aimed at derailing peace talks with the militant group. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the drone strike was "an attack on regional peace by America."