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Cuban food has evolved very little since Fidel Castro came into power — the U.S. embargo has made it hard to import ingredients from abroad and few citizens have been permitted to travel. But a handful of Cuban chefs, including one who recently visited Washington, D.C., is determined to modernize the cuisine.

NBC's new drama plumbs the drama behind the curtain. The new series is the story of a Broadway musical — from the first idea, to auditions, rehearsals and the big premiere. The show's creator and executive producer says Smash has a universally appealing theme: the desire to pursue a dream.

In her 20th work of fiction, Penelope Lively imagines a mugging that sets off a chain of events — and explores the role that chance plays in our lives. "You find yourself looking back over your own life and wondering about where it could have gone completely different," Lively says.

Everything from the size of your plate to the color of your food may be telling you to eat more than you actually need. The good news is you can use psychology to your advantage, if you learn a few tricks of the trade.

Most Americans use photo IDs daily. And their driver's license — perhaps the most common form of government-issued photo ID — has become indispensable. So what's the big deal about new laws requiring a government-issued picture ID to vote? Some who have always voted, but can't in 2012, explain.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made appearances before two communities in Florida Friday whose votes he hopes to win in next Tuesday's GOP primary. He spoke to Latino home builders and business people in the morning, and had a rally with a group of Republican Jewish voters in the afternoon. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

Republican candidates' efforts to win Hispanic voters have intensified in advance of the Florida primary, airing ads in Spanish and contending over immigration. Host Scott Simon speaks with Maria Elena Salinas, co-host of Noticiero Univision, about Hispanic voters' role in the Republican primary and the upcoming presidential election.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama unveiled a new plan for the struggling U.S. housing market. As described, the program would let responsible homeowners take advantage of record-low borrowing costs through refinancing. Host Scott Simon talks with New York Times columnist Joe Nocera about the president's plans.

In his book Glock: The Rise of America's Gun, Paul Barrett traces how the sleek, high-capacity Austrian weapon found its way across the U.S. Also, TV writer David Milch talks about his new HBO series Luck. And rock historian Ed Ward looks back at The Smiths.

President Obama is back in Washington Saturday after visiting five different states, all of which are likely to be hotly contested in November. He expanded on some of the ideas he outlined in Tuesday's State of the Union address and offered a preview of the argument he'll be making in the general election. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.