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Clinton Correctional Facility, where two prisoners escaped last week, was built in the 1840s in Dannemora, N.Y. The prison historian says inmates have frequent access to tools, supplies, and information about how the prison works.

Inside Clinton Correctional: Power Tools And Barbecue Grills

Inmates at the prison where two murderers escaped a week ago regularly use power tools for maintenance chores, and when they behave, can earn tiny plots of land for cookouts and gardens.

Alaskans attend a rally in Anchorage for Medicaid expansion.

State Legislatures Quarrel Over Whether To Expand Medicaid

Medicaid expansion was a big deal in a handful of state legislatures this year. Wyoming said no. Tennessee said no. But Montana said yes, and three more states are coming down to the wire.

A plane sprays coca fields in San Miguel, Colombia, in 2006. The Colombian government announced this week that it is phasing out the U.S.-backed aerial coca-eradication program over health concerns.

Colombia Will End Coca Crop-Dusting, Citing Health Concerns

The U.S.-funded aerial spraying program has been aimed at killing the plants that feed the cocaine industry. Colombia says one of the chemicals in the spray may cause illnesses.

Families harvest poppy bulbs in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. To collect the opium, they score the bulbs and let the milky substance ooze out. The dried residue contains about 10 percent morphine.

Home-Brewed Morphine Is Around The Corner

What if microbes could ferment sugar into narcotics, like the way yeasts make beer? That day is quickly approaching. This week scientists report all the steps needed to make morphine in yeast.

Horses, riders and runners crossed three streams in the course of their 22-mile race through the hills of central Wales. The average finish time was the same for both species — four hours.

The Neighs Have It: Horse Outruns Man, But Just Barely

The annual Man v. Horse Marathon in Wales sounds like a lopsided contest favoring racers with four feet. But scientists say that Homo sapiens evolved to be incredible endurance athletes, too.

The First Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival will give competitors 13-17 years old a chance at a Cliburn victory.

By Their Fingertips: Teen Pianists In New Cliburn Competition

The Van Cliburn Foundation is hosting its first international piano competition for young players. Some are wondering if the new contest is too much pressure too soon.

Big Guns Having 'Equal Amounts Of Trouble' In Stanley Cup Finals

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times about the Stanley Cup. The series is tied 2-2, as the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning prepare for game five on Saturday.

Detroit's iconic Fisher building has an ornate interior full of marble, bronze and art deco design.

Detroit's Iconic Fisher Building Up For Auction

An important part of Detroit's skyline is on the auction block — the 29-story Fisher Building. The bank foreclosed on it, and next week, it goes up for sale online.

NSA Bulk Collection On Hold As Senate Considers Bill

The U.S. Senate is racing to move forward a bill that, had it been passed in time, would have kept key provisions of the Patriot Act from expiring Sunday night.

In the past year, the U.S. prison population fell by roughly 4,800, the first time in decades the number has gone down, according to the Justice Department. Attorney General Eric Holder discussed the findings in New York on Tuesday.

Crime Falls As U.S. Locks Up Fewer People, Attorney General Holder Says

For the first time in more than 40 years, both the overall crime rate and the overall incarceration rate have fallen by around 10 percent in a roughly five-year span, the attorney general says.

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