Morning Cram

From NPR: Why do states have strong concentrations of liberals and conservatives? Why isn't there more mixing? New research explores the answer to these questions.

From NPR: From the early 1920s to 1940, the Cotton Club was the showplace for African-American performers in New York. Now the Harlem landmark and the artists who made it great — Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith and the Nicholas Brothers are just a few of them — are being celebrated in called After Midnight.

From NPR: State officials in West Virginia say they can no longer detect any of the industrial chemical that spilled recently, called MCHM, in most areas. They say based on federal guidelines, the water is safe for people to drink and use; including most pregnant women. But other public health specialists say they don't trust those assurances.

From NPR: North Dakota's oil boom isn't just about oil; a lot of natural gas is being produced, too. But there's a problem with that: The state doesn't have the pipelines needed to transport all of that gas to market. There's also no place to store it. In many cases, drillers are simply burning it.

From NPR: A remarkable transformation is underway in western North Dakota, where an oil boom is changing the state's fortunes and leaving once-sleepy towns bursting at the seams. In a series of stories, NPR is exploring the economic, social and environmental demands of this modern-day gold rush.

From NPR: In 2004, Morning Edition contributor published about the ways in which the wives, mothers, daughters and sisters of America's Founding Fathers helped forge the nation. Now she's back with an illustrated version aimed at children. It's called Founding Mothers: Remembering The Ladies.

From NPR: In recent years geologists have hotly debated the age of the Grand Canyon. Some think it's young (just 6 million years old), while others argue that it dates back 70 million years — to the days of dinosaurs. Now one group says the Grand Canyon is neither young nor old. Instead, these geologists say, it's both.

From NPR: Virginia's attorney general surprised the state's political circles on Thursday when he announced he will not defend Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage when it goes before a federal judge next week. Virginians had varying reactions to Mark Herring's decision.

From NPR: Morning Edition co-host David Greene is traveling in Idaho this week ahead of a very competitive primary that may replace a longtime moderate Republican member of Congress. Incumbent Mike Simpson faces a challenger backed by the Tea Party.

From NPR: It's difficult to understand why certain athletes are harshly singled out by the media, but one of the most baffling examples has to be the criticism displayed toward figure skater Nancy Kerrigan after she was clubbed in the leg at a practice session just weeks before the 1994 Olympics.