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Charles Lieber, the former chair of Harvard's chemistry department, has been convicted of lying to the university and the IRS about his ties with China.

The cherry blossoms are finally in bloom in Washington, D.C., and what better way to celebrate these beautiful Japanese gifts than with a haiku? We celebrate the delicate pink petals with poetry submitted by our listeners.

A Hamas leader rejects calls to eschew violence in the wake of victory in the Palestinian elections. U.S. and European leaders threaten aid cuts to the Palestinian Auhority unless Hamas disarms. Scott Simon discusses developments with Rami Khouri of Beirut's Daily Star.

The World Health Organization says an outbreak of Ebola in Africa is under control after only a few weeks. But 500 miles to the south, a related virus, Marburg hemorrhagic fever, is still spreading months after it began.

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.

Tour de France champion Floyd Landis has tested positive for high levels of testosterone, according to a statement from his cycling team, Phonak. The test was reportedly conducted after Landis' comeback victory in the 17th stage. If the result is confirmed, Landis could lose his title.

Supergroups have a long tradition in popular music. Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson once joined forces as The Highwaymen. There were the Fania All-Stars, The Four Tenors and Audioslave. Now Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, Jim James and M. Ward, calling themselves Monsters of Folk, have released their debut album.

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.

Mariza is a 29-year-old singer of fado — the rich, emotionally textured music tradition from Portugal. She recently spoke with NPR's Melissa Block about her childhood in Lisbon, and about how fado has been her anchor. Hear samples from Mariza's latest CD, Fado Curvo.