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This week PBS will present Benjamin Franklin, an unblinking look at the remarkable founding father whose industriousness furthered the cause of science and whose diplomatic skills helped win American independence. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with documentary writer Ron Blumer and Ellen Hovde.

Almost a year since former Beatles guitarist George Harrison died of cancer, his final studio album, Brainwashed, hits the record stores Tuesday. NPR's Bob Boilen talks to longtime collaborator Jeff Lynne and Harrison's only son, Dhani Harrison, about putting the finishing touches on George Harrison's swan song.

Video game enthusiasts have been able to play against each other online for years. But manufacturers hope the increased availability of high-speed Internet access will bring them online in mass numbers. On Morning Edition, Marty Demarest reports on Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's varying online strategies for their game consoles.

The food pyramid is an American icon. But a new Harvard study says people are healthier if they eat fewer carbohydrates and more fat than it recommends. Nutritionists are calling for a new pyramid and a revamping of government guidelines for a healthy diet. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

Five Hollywood studios launch an online movie rental service called Movielink. It's a bid by the studios to avoid becoming the next major victims -- after record companies -- of Internet piracy. If it's successful, Movielink could eventually compete with cable TV. NPR's Andy Bowers reports.

He is one of New York's most notable spoken-word artists. He blends lyrics of urban dwelling with music. Born in Harlem, Sundiata is a professor of English literature at The New School for Social Research. He's released CDs of spoken word including The Blue Oneness of Dreams and Urban Music. This week, Sundiata premieres his new one-man show blessing the boats. It's about the year his kidney failed, he went into dialysis and then had a kidney transplant. That year ended with him breaking his neck after he crashed his car in a snowstorm on the way to his "comeback" concert. He is fully recovered now.

In the latest installment of NPR's series on finding homes for people who need support and services, NPR's Joe Shapiro reports on the problem elderly residents of so-called assisted living facilities have when they are forced into nursing homes because of their special medical needs and government regulations.

Charles de Ledesma reviews 1 Giant Leap a multimedia project that combines documentary film, recorded music, and spoken word, all compiled on a CD and a DVD. Two producers spent six months traveling to more than 20 countries, recording musicians, writers, and storytellers. Featured on the project are readings from Kurt Vonnegut and Dennis Hopper, and performances by Michael Stipe, Nenah Cherry and Baaba Maal, among others. All of the audio corresponds with short films, with themes like time, death, happiness, money, and God. The CD 1 Giant Leap is from Palm Pictures, catalog # PALM CD 2077-2.

It's the most-played board game in the world. Though it's considered the ultimate contest of money and power, it started out as a cautionary exercise to make Americans aware of the excesses of capitalism. On Morning Edition, NPR's Juan Williams reports on Monopoly's humble roots, as part of the Present at the Creation series. (8:38)

President Ronald Reagan stumbled through his first debate with Walter Mondale in 1984. But that didn't stop Lee Atwater and other "spin doctors" on the Reagan team from trying to convince reporters that the Democrat had failed to knock their candidate down. On Morning Edition, NPR's Linda Wertheimer looks at the origins of political "spin" as part of the Present at the Creation series.