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Russia is preparing for the 2014 Winter Games — turning a sleepy valley in the Northern Caucasus Mountains into an Olympic village, with brand-new facilities for every Alpine sport. Officials say it will be a world-class destination for winter-sports enthusiasts long after the Games are over. Environmentalists say it's an ecological disaster in the making.

David Greene speaks with NPR's Don Gonyea, Scott Horsley and Brian Naylor about The Des Moines Register's Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The three reporters are riding in the event, also known as RAGBRAI, to explore the Iowa they didn't see on the presidential campaign trail.

Television networks are up in arms. The new company Aereo is charging a monthly fee to provide a high-definition feed of the basic over-the-air channels, and the stations aren't seeing a penny of it. But CEO Chet Kanojia thinks he's figured out a legal loophole.

This model was hailed as a success in Somalia and is now being marshaled to fight rebels in the eastern Congo. It involves Western nations providing financial support to African troops who do the peacekeeping. But why are African countries so silent about their casualty figures?

Francine Segan, author of Dolci: Italy's Sweets, discovered the unusual treat while traveling in Tuscany.

The city of London boasts centuries of architectural history. But a building boom is threatening the city's traditionally low-rise aesthetic and the views of some of that history. Critics — including UNESCO — are very worried about London's changing skyline.

In fashion's first hackathon, developers had just 24 hours to build an app for the industry — the finalists will be presented on the runway at New York's Fashion Week. "Right now the industry could really use some innovation," says Decoded Fashion founder Liz Bacelar.

Fifty years ago in a Washington, DC nightclub, the Ramsey Lewis Trio recorded "The In Crowd," a rare jazz single that landed on the pop charts. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the fans were half the show.

Steve Inskeep talks to André Borschberg, one of 2 Solar Impulse pilots. The plane will attempt a 5-day trans-Pacific flight from Nanjing, China, to Hawaii, as part of a round-the-world journey.

Light beer doesn't have to mean less flavor. A growing trend is offering another option. Session beers emphasize craft-beer taste with alcohol as low as or lower than big-brand light beers.