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The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin is in isolation following four members of his entourage testing positive for COVID-19.

The Washington Monument, which has been closed for renovations for the last three years, is ready to open to the public again. Yesterday the park service held a ceremony to announce the opening and explain what changes were made.

NPR's Julie Rovner reports on the rising costs faced by HMOs participating in Medicare. Early indications from industry surveys suggest more companies than ever will pull out of the program for financial reasons, causing thousands of people to have to change their health care plans.

Robert talks to Ed Buttke of the Riverside Cemetery, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about the theft of American flags from the headstones there. The culprits: some very unpatriotic squirrels.

NPR's Ina Jaffe reports a study published this week shows the success of an effort by the state of Georgia to make sure children of welfare families are immunized against diseases like polio and diptheria. But some have criticized the program -- which imposes sanctions against welfare families if kids don't get their shots. The study can be found in week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

NPR's Larry Abramson reports on the possibility that Deutsche Telekom will acquire Sprint, if federal regulators succeed in blocking the proposed merger between Sprint and Worldcom. But a merger between the German telecommunications company and Sprint also could face opposition from regulators.

Apart from its better-known roles in bluegrass and Dixieland, the banjo was once a sought-after status symbol in late 19th-century America. Young ladies learned to play parlor music on the banjo; there were banjo societies and banjo virtuosi; and manufacturers fought wars over who could make the fanciest banjos. On top of that, this was primarily a northern phenomenon. It's chronicled in a new book, America's Instrument: The Banjo in the 19th Century, by Philip Gura and James Bollman. Paul Brown reports. (7:45) (America's Instrument: The Banjo in the 19th Century is published by University of North Carolina P

A note on the sale of the Website featuring a computer-generated newscaster named "Ananova." The British mobile phone company Orange bought the site from the UK's Press Association. The price for Ananova -- well over 100-million-dollars.

Celeste Headlee of member station KNAU reports on a new classical work that incorporates Native American musicians, singers, and dancers. Guardians of the Grand Canyon, composed by Brent Michael Davis, honors the Havasupai tribe which owns a large part of the canyon.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports the price of a barrel of crude oil dropped today in response to Saudi Arabia's announcement that it is ready to increase its productions. The Saudi decision could mean somewhat lower fuel prices in the United States.