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At 87, Cuban pianist and composer Bebo Valdes is busier than ever — and he's getting more recognition than ever before. But just 10 years ago, he was hardly recognized as a lounge pianist in Stockholm.

A century ago, the Wright Brothers were working hard to develop the first manned flying machine. They weren't the only ones. One of their chief rivals was Samuel Pierpont Langley, an esteemed scientist and secretary of the Smithsonian Insitution. Author James Tobin tells Langley's story to NPR's Liane Hansen.

For tips on summer refreshments, Liane Hansen stopped by Espuma restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Del., to chat with Jay Caputo, the owner, chef and bar manager.

Mark O'Connor's new Americana Symphony follows the spirit of America's historic westward expansion and the music it engendered. The fiddler says he's trying to identify something long overlooked in classical music — our native language.

Pianist Ben Folds has crafted a series of alt-rock hits over the past 15 years. For his pseudo-"greatest-hits" package, he's commissioned new arrangements of those songs from university a cappella groups across the country. Folds and host Jacki Lyden compare and contrast the various versions of his songs.

On Sept. 12, 1910, Gustav Mahler introduced his Symphony No. 8 -- a massive, hulking work featuring an enormous double chorus and the largest orchestra ever put on stage at the time. Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas says he thought it was the most "grotesque assemblage of noises" he had ever heard. But many years later, he has recorded a Grammy-winning version of the symphony.

Lawyers for Donald Trump are due in court Monday in New York to argue that the former president should not be held in contempt over a subpoena for Trump Organization documents.

The 2003 film Shattered Glass explores the story of Stephen Glass, a journalist caught fabricating stories for The New Republic. Director Billy Ray drew inspiration from another cinematic exploration of journalism ethics: All the President's Men. It's the latest story in Intersections, a series on artists and their inspirations. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.

Sally Singer, Vogue magazine's fashion news and features director, says the need for fashion and style don't disappear — even in rough economic times.

The 2009 Pritzker Prize for architecture — one of the highest honors in the field — has been awarded to 65-year-old Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.