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When you hear the words bubonic plague, Black Death usually comes to mind. But the first plague pandemic happened 800 years earlier, when the Justinian plague wiped out nearly a quarter of the world's population. Scientists have decoded the bacteria responsible, which have roots in China.

The site in central Rome has also yielded evidence of how actively the early Romans intervened to shape their urban environment. But the excavation has been particularly challenging because the temple lies below the water table.

Steve Inskeep talks to Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald about the parole hearing of an alleged bodyguard for Osama bin Laden. Abdul Malik Wahab al Rahabi, 34, was one of the first detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba.

Snow and ice sweeping through the South caused an epic traffic jam around Atlanta on Tuesday. One couple stuck on the freeway found themselves in a different kind of jam: Their unborn baby wouldn't wait to get to the hospital.

Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., didn't like a reporter's question. With the camera still rolling, he said he would throw the journalist "off this [expletive] balcony." Also, said Grimm, "I'll break you in half."

ANALYSIS: The president was brisk and confident during Tuesday night's State of the Union address. He also managed to avoid a remarkable array of issues that could have proved problematic. But he hasn't been nearly as adept at the less-dramatic business of dealing with Congress and the media.

One of the nation's most remote places is now awash in oil money. We sent a photographer to North Dakota to capture not just what it looks like but how it feels.

President Obama described the state as "not the most liberal part of the country." In fact, Kentucky gives him lower approval ratings than all but seven other states. Yet the state's Democratic governor has pushed Obama's priorities on health and education more successfully than most other governors.

Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, joins Steve Inskeep with reaction to President Obama's State of the Union address.

The silent-film comic was a flop in the 13-minute Making a Living. But only a few days later, he'd introduce his iconic Little Tramp character — and take the first step toward immortality.