NPR News

President Obama delivers his State of the Union to a Congress on good behavior. A similarly respectful Rep. Paul Ryan offers the GOP response. But that wasn't the last word as the Rep. Michelle Bachmann gives the Tea Party response. Looking ahead to 2012, Sharron Angle heading to Iowa? Also, a roller coaster week for mayoral hopeful Rahm Emanuel. And former Sen. George Allen wants his old seat back.

Saxophonist Charlie Parker was an original. His improvisations and harmonies still beguile and inspire, almost 60 years after he died at the age of 34. His influence on jazz has lasted for generations and still affects musicians today. Musicians still pay tribute to "Bird," as Parker was known, on street corners, in clubs and on recordings.

It's tricky to pay your respects without sounding like an imitation. But saxophonist Joe Lovano took a different path: He's broken down and rebuilt something new from the art of an icon.

Over the course of the day, protests have spread across Egypt to most of the major cities, with some crowds reported in the tens of thousands. In the last couple hours alone, protesters in Cairo have torched a police department and police vehicles, as well as the ruling party's headquarters. The government has also attempted to block all communications coming out of Egypt, but word is still getting out — including through Twitter.

Lawmakers in Arizona are taking on the 14th Amendment head on. Legislation introduced Thursday seeks to deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of immigrants.

Recently, an old friend who's been a vegetarian for more than 15 years shocked us with a story: Last weekend, she ate bacon. Several strips. Straight out of the frying pan where her boyfriend was cooking it.

This wasn't the first time she'd encountered it sizzling there, in all its glistening glory. But for some reason, this time it overpowered her. She was guilty yet gleeful when she told us that she'd allowed bacon back into her life.