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Humanitarian groups are finding cheaper ways -- namely, filtering systems -- to clean up contaminated drinking water in developing nations. That could greatly reduce diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites among the billion people worldwide who drink unsafe water.

The bombing of one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines sparks mass protests and violence in many parts of Iraq. The top Shiite cleric urges followers to refrain from violence. With sectarian tensions already running high, the bombing prompts attacks on Sunni mosques.

Bird lovers say they're friendly and intelligent -- but a Connecticut power utility calls them a nuisance, and it's rounding them up to kill them. Tandaleya Wilder of member station WSHU reports on the skirmish over the wild monk parakeet.

Rain runoff from roofs of buildings across the United States adds to the pollution of lakes and streams and can overburden sewage systems and storm drains. But more of those roofs are turning "green." There's a push under way to grow plants on the tops of buildings to capture rainwater and air pollutants.

Business and labor groups are weighing in on proposed immigration legislation. The Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO are both against certain provisions in the bill. But agri-business interests are backing the proposals.

One brigade slated for deployment to Iraq this summer will instead be staying in Germany, courtesy of the Pentagon's reassessment of troop levels. Will political progress in Baghdad allow the Defense Department to lower U.S. force levels in the weeks ahead?

There's an unusual bi-partisan effort to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to release information about certain Superfund cleanup sites, pieces of land that have been deemed too toxic for development. The EPA says sharing some information about the sites could discourage companies from cleaning up their environmental messes.

Fresh Air's TV critic previews the new series Breaking Bad, about a cancer-stricken chemistry teacher who decides that cooking crystal meth is the best way to support his family after he's gone. The show premieres on the AMC cable channel on Jan. 20.

March Madness is hitting a fever pitch, as only the last "Sweet 16" teams are left standing on the men's and women's brackets.

The trees in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico were raked bare by Hurricane Maria. Grizelle Gonzalez from the International Institute of Tropical Forestry talks with NPR's Melissa Block.