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Singer Allison Russell is a native of Montreal with what she calls “Grenadian Canadian” roots of Afro-Caribbean and Scottish ancestry. You may know her recordings with Our Native Daughters and the Birds of Chicago, or back when with Po’ Girl. In her first solo recording, Outside Child, Russell addressed family abuse in her youth, followed by escape to the road: Vancouver, San Francisco, Chicago. Those early life experiences led Allison years later to make new, compelling songs, expressing freedom from trauma, to love and hope for better times. She lives now with fellow musician JT Nero and their young daughter in Nashville, but Allison Russell began the journey’s narrative in her beloved Montreal.

Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers co-founder Chris Hillman is a musician, singer, songwriter, and author. A third generation Californian, Hillman grew up hearing Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, all on his parents’ hi-fi. He discovered bluegrass and picked up mandolin by way of Bill Monroe and the New Lost City Ramblers. At seventeen, Hillman joined his first band, the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, a bluegrass group that included Eagles’ guitarist Bernie Leadon. He later played with the Golden State Boys, the resident bluegrass band for Los Angeles television’s Cal’s Corral, which became the Hillmen. I spoke to Chris Hillman over Zoom, where he told me how he was recruited to play bass for the Byrds at a studio rehearsal in L.A.

This week's albums and singles charts are both dominated by the same record: Sabrina Carpenter's Man's Best Friend, which debuts at No. 1 and lands all 12 of its songs in the Hot 100's top 40.

Veterans groups received the money after Donald Trump had been questioned about his claim he had raised $6 million for them. Trump battled reporters on the issue in a news conference on Tuesday.

Recent studies show the U.S. is slipping further from democracy. And, the Trump administration plans to transfer federal student loans from the Education Department to the Treasury Department.

Attacks persist across the Middle East despite the two-week ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran. And, Bill Gates is set to testify in the investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump threatened to bomb Iran's power plants and bridges unless it opens the Strait of Hormuz. And, NASA's Artemis II crew prepares to make its closest approach to the moon.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians. And, a grand jury has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for a second time.

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer asks Vogue fashion writer Christian Allaire about the current popularity of plain white tank tops.

When the heroes save themselves but lose an awful lot of other people, are they still heroes?