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In January 1940, Irving Berlin, the most popular songwriter in America, raced into his office and asked his musical secretary to take down a new song. NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on the history of "White Christmas," a song Berlin said was the best he — or anyone — ever wrote.

Beijing is prosecuting some of China's high and mighty in a huge corruption scandal, based in Xiamen. Already there have been death sentences handed down in number of cases, and more are expected. NPR's Rob Gifford reports on the case of a Chinese man, arrested in Vancouver and held in a Canadian jail on immigration charges. Political leaders in Beijing say he is the most prolific smuggler in modern Chinese history. They have requested that he be extradited to China. Canada is worried about the case, because the man could be executed if returned to China. But Chinese officials are concerned because the suspect, who's name is Lai Changxing, has tales to tell about corruption at the highest levels of government.

Called one of the greatest improvisers in the history of jazz, Jarrett was famous for his wildly passionate solo recitals. In 1996, Jarrett came down with a mysterious illness- an interstitial bacterial parasite-- that caused him to stop performing for about two and a half years. Jarrett has started performing and recording again, but he still keeps a low public profile, so his condition will not worsen again. His newest CD is Whisper Not (Universal Classics). His other recent CD, Melody at Night, With You, was a solo album Jarrett recorded at his home studio in rural New Jersey.

In part three of our Radio Expedition to Central Africa, NPR's Alex Chadwick follows two field biologists into the forest in search of a large ape-like creature that may be an unknown species of gorilla or large chimpanzee. As they explore, Esteban Sarmiento of the American Museum of Natural History and George Schaller of the Wildlife Conservation Society, find a nest that suggests the presence of gorillas and other evidence that lean toward chimps. They also find lion tracks and ape feeding sites in a forest full of vibrant sights and sounds.

Host Bob Edwards talks to Edward Goldberg, Director of the Medici Archive Project, about his work with the Medici family archive in Florence, Italy. The archive is a collection of virtually every letter sent or received by the Medici court during its rule from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s. The correspondence reveals a great deal about Italian art and early modern European history. Goldberg and his colleagues are documenting and digitizing each letter, and hope to have the project complete by 2012. (6:28) For more on the project, check out our Medici Archive Web page.

Sixty years ago, the German army tried to push the Allies back one last time, as World War II neared its end in Europe. Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite was with Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army that Christmas. Cronkite reflects on the Battle of the Bulge, which remains the largest pitched battle in U.S. history.

The tune "Misirlou" is heard in klezmer music, '50s exotica acts, surf guitar and many other forms. Guitar legend Dick Dale and NYU professor Yale Strom help trace the history of a haunting melody.

Exxon Mobil Corp. posts one of the largest quarterly profits in American history: $10.7 billion for the fourth quarter of 2005, up from more than $8.4 billion a year ago. Exxon is the latest oil company to post record profits as oil prices continue to rise.

Got $60,000 to $80,000 to spare? If so, you could own a part of disco history and be strutting in your boogie shoes on the famous Saturday Night Fever dance floor. The multicolored platform where John Travolta showed off his moves is to be auctioned to the public.

She is the author of the best-selling book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend, about the horse who became a racetrack sensation in the 1930s. Her book is the basis of the new film starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. The New York Times called the book, "a captivating story... with the detail of good history, the blistering pace of Seabiscuit himself, and the charm of grand legend." Hillenbrand has chronic fatigue syndrome and during the writing of Seabiscuit, she almost never left her home. She has been writing about thoroughbred racing for 15 years.