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The newly released "positive experience index" of 138 countries finds that people in Paraguay had the rosiest outlook (again). The U.S. made the top 20 in the annual Gallup index.

The Obama administration has asked its top lawyer to investigate how the name of the CIA station chief in Afghanistan showed up on documents distributed to reporters.

Christopher O'Riley, host of NPR's From the Top, considers Elliott Smith to be one America's greatest songwriters. Smith died in 2003 before ever achieving massive fame. O'Riley's latest release, Home to Oblivion, is a classical translation of Smith's work.

The investigation, prompted by the discovery of top-secret papers found at Mar-a-Lago, is at an early stage, a source told NPR.

Judi Dench has won major acting awards on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Oscar, the Tony and six Oliviers (England's top theatrical honor). The British actress is famous for Shakespearean roles, but she's also played spy chief M in James Bond films and currently appears in the Vin Diesel science fiction action flick The Chronicles of Riddick. NPR's Susan Stamberg interviews Dench about the art of acting.

One of the world's top female wrestlers is featured in this week's installment of the Weekend Edition Sunday summer reading series. Toccara Montgomery will compete in Athens in the 72-kilogram weight division. She talked about books with NPR's Liane Hansen before leaving for the Summer Games.

Folk artist Mose Tolliver's subjects were nature, people and animals. His medium was house paint. His canvasses were cabinet doors and discarded table tops. His paintings put him at the forefront of the Outsider Art movement.

The new film, set in l942 during the Japanese occupation of China, is about a dangerous affair between a young resistance fighter and a top Chinese collaborator. Lee, who won an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain, says this was much more difficult subject to tackle.

Vice President Gore today asserted that he remains optimistic as his appeal of a Florida circuit court ruling goes forward. The Florida Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of yesterday's lower court ruling that rejected Gore's call for hand counts of ballots in key counties. The court said it would take written briefs from the lawyers on both sides on Wednesday and hear oral arguments on Thursday. While Florida's top court hears that case, it has also been asked by the U.S. Supreme Court to explain its decision extending a deadline for counties to submit their vote tallies to the state for certification. That decision allowed hand counting to go forward in several Florida counties, counting that cut into the election lead held by Texas Governor George W. Bush. Robert talks to NPR's Melissa Block about the issues before the Florida Supreme Court.

Mo Donegal won the 154th Belmont Stakes, the third and final race of the Triple Crown series, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday. The horse was a top contender coming into the race.