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In his new book, journalist Jack Hitt says America's amateur spirit goes back to the nation's origins — and it's nothing to be ashamed of. The Europeans viewed the Americans as an "unfinished people," Hitt says. "We were amateur everything." And it's only made the nation better.

Katie Beckett died Friday morning in the same hospital where she'd once made history. Beckett was 3 years old when her case changed health care law. She was 34 when she died. NPR's Joseph Shapiro explains why she was important to other children with disabilities.

The "Radio Time Machine" is an online application that has collected the top 20 Billboard hits back to 1940. Some transcend their time period, while the appeal of others may be harder to understand. Host Scott Simon speaks with Brett Westervelt, a grad student at Stanford University and the designer of the app.

Tamae Watanabe, 73, reached the summit of the world's tallest mountain this morning. The last time she was crowned the oldest woman to climb Everest was 10 years ago.

Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, whose escape from house arrest sparked a diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and China, flew to the U.S. with his wife and two children. He reportedly will be studying law at New York University.

I'll Have Another now has a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

The former lead guitarist of the legendary band Guns N' Roses is a musician with a sound and look all his own. After all the success — and vice — Slash says he's still a work in progress.

Long years of civil war, exile and displacement as refugees have disrupted South Sudan's education system. They're still catching up nearly a year after independence from — and renewed conflict with — Sudan.

Most Greeks want to keep the euro as their currency. Most also want to cancel the eurozone-imposed austerity measures that come with the billions in international bailout loans keeping the country solvent. This dilemma has paralyzed both the country's politics and its people.

You don't need to deliberate to be thoughtful, says commentator Alva Noë. In fact, it's better if you don't. We are at our most intelligent when we let the world guide us. And we can do this because we are expert at many things we take for granted.