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Two new books shed light on the often misunderstood heritage of an impoverished region rich in culture: The United States of Appalachia and The Encyclopedia of Appalachia.

Nowadays, most of us regard candy as a guilty pleasure, but during the Great Depression, sugary confections were marketed as healthy and inexpensive meals. That's just one of the interesting tidbits author Beth Kimmerle shares in her new book, Candy: The Sweet History. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Kimmerle.

NPR's Cheryl Corley reports on the beginning of televised Presidential debates. In 1960, then Vice-President Richard Nixon faced off with Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy at CBS affiliate WBBM in Chicago. Some of the people involved in the debate, including moderator Howard K. Smith and debate director Don Hewitt, spoke last night in Chicago about the event.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports from Tampa, site of today's Super Bowl 35 between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. Tampa also hosted Super Bowl 25 a decade ago, during the height of the Gulf War, when the pre-game atmosphere was far different.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks at the early days of the Neon Boys who became the band Television. The "lost" third album by Television has just come out on CD — a 25-year old live broadcast, and their first two albums have just been remastered.

Brad Graham, is on leave from the Washington Post as a Pentagon reporter. He's writing a book titled Hit to Kill: The New Battle Over Defending America Against Missile Attack. Noah Adams talks to Graham about the development of the idea of missile defense -- from the Reagan-era discussion about "Star Wars," to the current modes of thinking. (4:15) Graham's book is due for publication in November.

Inherited mutations of some genes can contribute to breast cancer risk. There are tests for a range of these uncommon mutations, but whether an insurer will pay for them varies, too.

American history repeats itself often enough that we sometimes feel like we are living in an infinite loop. Here is a quiz that explores that notion.

Renewed interest in the poinsettia's colonialist roots have led to some people calling the flower by its native name.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with John Green, political scientist and director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, about "527" groups. They've been a powerful and wealthy force in the presidential campaign so far, despite the fact that the soft money they thrive on was to be outlawed by the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform in 2002.