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A manuscript donated to the Library of Congress sheds new light on the last days of Nathan Hale, an American spy hanged by the British during the American Revolution. Penned by a writer sympathetic to the British, the document suggests Hale inadvertently revealed his mission to a British spy. Hale was executed on Sept. 22, 1776. Hear James Hutson of the Library of Congress.

Dutch architect and Pritzker Prize laureate Rem Koolhaas's first U.S. project opens to the public Saturday in Chicago. The student center at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) campus has bright orange glass and a stainless steel tube on top that the Chicago elevated train passes through. Edward Lifson of Chicago Public Radio reports.

Herb Gardner, a playwright known for smart, witty comedies such as A Thousand Clowns and the Tony award-winning I'm Not Rappaport, died this week of lung disease. He was 68. NPR's Michele Norris has a remembrance.

Inflation is higher than people under 40 have seen. But their parents lived through sharper price hikes in the 1970s and '80s. These experiences are helping shape the way both view today's economy.

The new novel The Great Fire is the first work of fiction from Australian expatriate Shirley Hazzard since 1980. The story is set in Japan just after the end of World War II. Alan Cheuse has a review.

The new HBO program K Street seeks to tell the story of Washington lobbyists and politicians. Produced with just a few days turnaround time, it is based on people and events in the week's news. NPR's Lynn Neary reports.

In the 1980s, Vusi Mahlasela was a voice of the revolution in South Africa. His music gave expression to the political ideals of the anti-apartheid movement. Now he's beginning to tell South Africa's story on a global stage. NPR's Gemma Hooley profiles Mahlasela.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this week issued new guidelines to try to limit the kind of campaigning that often goes on as members lobby for Academy Awards. NPR's Bob Edwards reports.

Entertainer Gregory Hines, a marvelous dancer, Tony-winning stage actor and film star, has died of cancer, his publicist says. Hines was 57. His 1992 Broadway success in Jelly's Last Jam was a highlight of a sparkling career. Hear an NPR News report.

Robert Redford has benefited from Hollywood's big-budget blockbuster formula system. But the star actor and director says art plays a crucial role in filmmaking and must not be left out. In an interview with NPR's Bob Edwards, Redford also discusses America's celebrity society, the benefits of public funding for the arts and the California governorship recall election. Hear the extended interview.