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When Brian O. Selznick wrote The Invention of Hugo Cabaret — a graphic novel about an orphan in 1930s Paris — he imagined the secret spaces of a Paris train station. For inspiration, he visited Grand Central Terminal in New York City. But the scenes in the book — hidden tunnels, secret rooms, the giant clock tower — were all drawn from Selznick's imagination and later turned into the movie Hugo by Martin Scorcese, which is nominated for 12 Academy Awards. Selznick recently got to explore Grand Central's secrets for the first time and it turns out that life imitated art in shockingly faithful ways.

Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer seems to have hit on how to get noticed in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination: drop out of the race. Or, more specifically, redouble his efforts by switching to the nascent "Americans Elect" movement while seeking the Reform Party nomination.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in London for a conference on the future of Somalia. The Horn of Africa nation has become a lawless base for al Qaida-linked terrorists with poverty-stricken civilians caught in the cross-fire. The international community is gathering to discuss ways to get to the root causes of the issues there.

The stock market hit some major milestones this week: The Standard & Poor's 500 index reached its highest level in more than three years and the Nasdaq rose to its highest level in 11 years. Still, the Federal Reserve has been warning not to get too excited about where the economy is headed next.

Condoms, vaginal films, jellies, foams and sponges containing the spermicide N-9 are widely available without a doctor's prescription. N-9 can increase the risk of HIV transmission in certain cases, but many consumers don't know that.

Bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs has died at the age of 88.

The Northern Arapaho tribe in Wyoming has won a permit to hunt two bald eagles for religious purposes. It's the first time federal authorities have granted such approval for bald eagles. The move comes in the wake of a lawsuit that alleged that refusing such permits violated tribe members' religious freedom.

Vanderbilt University is enforcing a rule requiring student groups to accept anyone who wants to join, and allow all members to run for leadership positions. The policy creates a dilemma for faith-based organizations: Either drop requirements that leaders hold certain beliefs, or forfeit school funding and move off campus.

President Obama is nominating Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim, to the post of World Bank. For more details, NPR's John Ydstie talks to David Greene.

The dirt track at the hallowed Churchill Downs is known for crushing dreams and cementing equine legacies. Raymond "Butch" Lehr leads a team of dozens that carefully tends the one-mile oval. On Saturday, Lehr will end his 30-year career.