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Workers who helped reconstruct New Orleans after Katrina are putting down roots in the city. The construction jobs aren't as easy to get as they once were, and many immigrants report that employers sometimes don't pay them for their work.

This week, the Senate blocked the confirmation of Richard Cordray, the former Ohio attorney general chosen by President Obama to lead the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It boils down to yet another partisan fight: Republicans say the agency has too much power, and the White House says they won't weaken an agency that is supposed to protect consumers. Host Scott Simon talks with Joe Nocera, an op-ed columnist for The New York Times.

European Union leaders completed a marathon of treaty negotiations overnight to address the continent's debt crisis. Host Scott Simon checks in with NPR's Philip Reeves about how this new plan will impact Europe.

Opposition politicians and press pundits in France warn that the Sarkozy-Merkel plan to save the Euro will make France subservient to Germany. They say France will lose its sovereignty by giving a German-dominated EU control over French fiscal policy. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley pounded the pavement of Paris for days, however, and could not find a single rank-and-file French citizen who shared these fears.

Astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, recently discovered two massive black holes more than 300 million light-years away and 10 billion times the size of the sun. Host Scott Simon talks with Professor Chung-Pei Ma, who led the team that published the study.

Most of the names announced for induction to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame this week are familiar. The name Laura Nyro, however, may need some explaining. Her songs outlasted their times, and today, a range of artists call her an inspiration.

Christopher Kimball and Bridget Lancaster share cooking tips and secret shortcuts from America's Test Kitchen. Also, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black explains the research behind J. Edgar, and Ken Tucker reviews a new album from The Black Keys.

Last week we spoke with artist John Morse, who creates traffic warning signs in haiku for the New York City Transportation Department. We also heard from listeners about a conversation with NPR's Don Gonyea on Republican presidential hopefuls. Host Scott Simon reads from listener comments and letters about last weekend's broadcast.

Tens of thousands of Russians turned out for rallies in Moscow and other cities Saturday to protest alleged fraud in last week's parliamentary elections. The protests appear to be the biggest mass demonstrations since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Peter van Dyk reports from Moscow about the protest there.

GOP presidential hopefuls debate Saturday night in Des Moines, Iowa, and NPR National Political Correspondent Don Gonyea is there. He tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz what to expect from the six candidates seeking the Republican nomination.