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Lawmakers are embroiled in a dayslong stalemate over electing the next speaker of the House. Kevin McCarthy starts a third day facing a group of fellow Republicans who object to him.

By most countries' standards, China's economy is flourishing. It grew almost 7 percent in the last quarter and 9 percent for 2008. Still, that was a slowdown, snapping a five-year streak of double-digit growth. China is the world's third-largest economy after the United States and Japan.

Dolores O'Riordan of the Irish rock band The Cranberries died on Monday at 46. The vocalist became internationally known in '90s with her band's hits such as "Linger," "Dreams" and "Zombie."

Tom Moon of the Philadelphia Inquirer reviews the latest effort by jazz guitarist Brad Shepik and his group the Brad Shepik Trio. The album is Drip. Shepik has played in every kind of band -- from an Eastern European group to big band; Moon says he uses all of those influences to create a distinctive sound.

The five-piece band known as The National — which toured as the opening act for The Arcade Fire, a Montreal band with a thundering orchestral sound --uses lush strings, clunky old pianos and assorted brass instruments to create odd, image-rich nighttime music on its fifth album, Boxer.

The rock band Phish, noted for its devoted followers and free-ranging concerts, announces that it will break up after their summer tour. Band members posted a notice on the group's web site Tuesday notifying fans of the decision. The group is scheduled to go on tour supporting its new album, out in June. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and critic Peter Shapiro.

Our Changing Face of America segment today explores the phenomenon of bands distributing their music over the worldwide web. We meet Jim Infantino, of the Boston band Jim's Big Ego. He takes us on a tour that starts with his thinking up a melody... and ends with a fully-produced rock tune going out over the Internet.

Music critic Milo Miles tells us about Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band, The 101'ers. Strummer went on to fame as the lead singer of the seminal punk band The Clash. Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited is the reissued 101'ers album in stores now.

David Greenberger reviews the latest CD from the surf guitar band "Los Straitjackets". The band is from Nashville, and when they perform they like to wear Mexican wrestling masks, medallions, and matching black turtlenecks. But their music is distinctively surf music — with many original tunes, and some eclectic covers, like Louis Prima and the love theme from the film Titanic. The music is all about surprise, invention, and good taste. (3:30) Los Straitjackets latest disc is on the YepRoc Records label.

In 1829, the U.S. government promised the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation about 1,280 acres of Illinois reservation. It instead illegally sold it all to white settlers.