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William Beaty, an electrical engineer, has come up with a "traffic fluid dynamics" theory to explain traffic jams, and tells host Rachel Martin how drivers can help smooth out the waves of traffic flow.

Russians have been drinking kvas, a barely alcoholic fermented grain drink, for centuries. But the version sold commercially in the U.S.? It's largely just a wimpy, watered-down, sugary version, say aficionados. Now some new kvas makers are hoping Americans will embrace traditional, hard-core versions of the drink and its tangy, sour goodness.

Most Americans think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a brilliant young minister who was one of the architects of the civil rights movement, and who was martyred for it in 1968. But to the revered leader's eldest son, Martin Luther King III, the famous man was just "Daddy."

Think buying health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will be confusing? You're not alone. NPR listeners asked questions that have been bugging them about state insurance exchanges and other new options. NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner explains how it's going to work.

Two of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit's largest unions went on strike after weekend talks with management failed to produce a new contract. The move ensures a nightmarish journey ahead for Monday commuters.

Creditors are going to lose up to 70 cents of every dollar they're owed by Jefferson County, Ala. The county earned the title of largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history after a sewer financing deal went awry.

President Obama's trip to Africa comes at a time of increasing African economic growth and declining U.S. influence on the continent. To be successful, he will need to overcome a general perception that the United States has withdrawn from Africa. At the same time, he must convince an American public and private sector that getting more invested in Africa will be good for American jobs and the economy.

Three scientists learned they carry genes that dramatically increase their risk for Alzheimer's disease. Now they're working to keep their brains healthy.

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Jaime Nadal about the humanitarian effects of Russia's war on Ukraine. Nadal is the representative to Ukraine at the United Nations Population Fund.

Daniel Tammet is a savant who experiences his world through equations and calculations. His new book, a collection of essays called Thinking In Numbers, explores language, history and even love through numbers.