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With the drama of the 17-day government shutdown over, the spotlight this week turned to the troubled rollout of the federal health insurance exchanges. Host Scott Simon talks to NPR's Ron Elving about the frustrations from both parties over the crippled HealthCare.gov website.

Author Simon Singh's new book teases out the mathematical references hidden in The Simpsons. Singh tells NPR's Scott Simon that the show's writing team includes several trained mathematicians — and that the logical bends and breaks of writing comedy can be very appealing to the mathematically minded.

The 1970s were a tumultuous time in the city's history, but it was also a time of great change for the Latino community, then mostly Puerto Rican. Photojournalist-activist Bolivar Arellano made a point of documenting the "good." Those who have studied his work say he captured the nuance that outsiders often missed.

In his graphic novel adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein, illustrator Gris Grimly says he wants to make the story more accessible. "The first time I tried to read Frankenstein, I didn't get through it," he says.

Alexander Ebert is the singer and songwriter of the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Now, he's also a film composer. He speaks with NPR about his work on All Is Lost, which stars Robert Redford as a solitary man lost at sea.

Fears of possible listeria contamination are forcing grocery stores in 25 states to pull refrigerated foods from shelves. Taylor Farms of Jessup, Md., is recalling products that include salad kits with packets of dressing due to concerns of a possible contamination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The gay marriage debate is nothing new to Hawaii. In 1990, gay couples applied for marriage licenses there and helped start the national debate that resulted in the Defense of Marriage Act.

The singer and songwriter who led The Velvet Underground and influenced generations of musicians has died at age 71. Lou Reed's solo career made him into a rock icon after the pioneering band disbanded.

Some Roma children in Europe have been removed from their families recently because outsiders suspected the blond, blue-eyed children had been kidnapped. For Americans who grew up in multiracial, adoptive, or blended families, the stories give pause for thought.

Women and Children First has weathered more than three decades of competition from chain stores and online booksellers to become one of the largest feminist bookstores in the U.S. Now, the Chicago store is among the few of its kind left standing — and it's on the hunt for new ownership.