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An analysis of data from the Internal Revenue Service shows that incomes for the very wealthiest Americans have grown by nearly a third in recent years in the same period that those for the bottom 99 percent increased by only a fraction.

What would incomes look like for U.S. families today if the income distribution were the same as it was in 1979?

The Obama administration says its ambitious, competitive grant program seeks to transform the teaching profession.

As baseball celebrates its midseason All-Star break, NPR's Bob Edwards talks to Jeff Campbell, the producer of a series of baseball music CDs, called Diamond Cuts. The latest album features songs about Mickey Mantle, Dizzy Dean and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Hear selections from Top of the Sixth.

Brooke, Samantha and Mollie McClymont have topped the charts Down Under. Now, they're bringing their voices topside: The McClymonts recently moved to Nashville and released a new album, Wrapped Up Good. Here, they speak with host Scott Simon.

Green Gartside is the driving force behind the various incarnations of Scritti Politti, which has been making music on and off for 35 years. Driven by Gartside's childlike voice and uplifting melodies, Scritti Politti's smooth pop sound surfaced on the Top 40 in 1985, but has mostly been heard on pop culture's margins.

M. Ward has always followed his own path. Propelled by both his agile acoustic guitar work and his considerable wit and charisma, Ward's folk-blues take on classic Americana has won him countless fans and a place among the nation's top contemporary singer-songwriters.

Though still only 20, English singer-songwriter Kate Nash has already topped numerous European pop charts and attracted massive buzz in the U.S. Her debut album, Made of Bricks, is full of sweetly infectious pop music, propelled by Nash's thick accent and effervescent personality. Hear Nash in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

The Donkeys' lazy, country-tinged Americana sound is a perfect match for the band's San Diego home. The group's second album, Living on the Other Side, is a simple and soothing summer set — music for driving with the top down, sunbathing in the sand and napping in a hammock.

One of the best hip-hop acts to surface in recent years, Spank Rock lays fun, over-the-top raps atop a mix of '80s-influenced electronic beats. Street-smart but beach-friendly, "Sweet Talk" is one of the catchiest, most exhilarating songs released this year, hip-hop or otherwise.