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When peace talks open in Switzerland, one common concern between the West and Syria is expected to be the threat of Islamist extremists and the rise of al-Qaida-linked militias. Thousands of Sunni militants from around the world have joined the rebel groups in Syria, but there are other groups of militant foreign fighters who support the Syrian regime. Iraqi Shiites are being recruited in the thousands to bolster Syria's armed forces. Recruiting billboards and social media help portray the fight as an existential battle between Sunnis and Muslims.

Richard Powers' new novel tells the story of an avant-garde classical composer who finds himself dabbling in DNA. He "gets obsessed with finding music inside of living things," Powers explains, and, as a fugitive, ends up leading officials on a low-speed chase.

The president's speech Friday offered a revealing look into the nation's phone data collection program and the direction of the surveillance policy debate. But some of biggest controversies have been put off or pushed to Congress.

A new report says instant messaging is surpassing old-fashioned texting in Britain. It may seem too soon to talk about the good old days of texting, but technological turnover is another sign of the times. Also on the decline: phone numbers.

Tunisians were celebrating this week. Egyptians were voting on a new constitution. Syrians are hoping peace talks can end their civil war. Several Arab Spring nations are now working through key events that will shape the road ahead.

The shooting injured two fellow students. Police say teens may have been playing with a gun when it went off.

Jay Cantor is a hard author to nail down. He's written about topics as wide-ranging as Che Guevara and Krazy Kat. His latest work expands his range even more, fictionalizing the lives of four of Franz Kafka's friends and lovers. It's called Forgiving the Angel, and Cantor tells NPR's Lynn Neary it's a book born out of gratitude.

Sunanda Pushkar's death was preceded by a very public Twitter feud about an alleged affair by her husband.

The U.S. Senate this week failed to end debate on a measure that would reinstate the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. Some 1.3 million unemployed Americans lost these benefits at the end of 2013, after Congress failed to extend the program. Now, lawmakers can't agree on how to pay for the program in 2014, which means more waiting for the long-term unemployed struggling to get by.

A federal court ruling could spell the end to what's known as "net neutrality." The Federal Communications Commission had tried to prevent Internet service providers from favoring one type of web traffic over another. But the court ruled against the FCC. Consumer advocates say this week's decision could ultimately mean higher prices for your Internet service. Host Arun Rath talks with NPR's Laura Sydell.