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Gatlinburg is home to North America's longest pedestrian suspension bridge, and they're inviting visitors to hurl old pumpkins over the bridge's 150-foot drop.

The Pentagon is expected to officially announce Thursday that it will lift the military ban on women in combat. The defense chief's groundbreaking move opens up thousands of front-line positions for women. For more on the Pentagon's decision Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Tom Bowman. And from Kentucky, Blake Farmer of member station WPLN has reaction from Fort Campbell.

The national debate over gun laws has taken on urgency since last year's shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut and a movie theater in Colorado. Giffords, who was shot in January 2011, is adding her voice. At a Senate hearing, all sides made their cases.

Reporting in Nature, researchers write that two individuals, both paralyzed by stroke, made reach-and-grasp movements using a thought-controlled robotic arm. One participant was even able to a sip a drink by herself. Neuroengineer Dr. Leigh Hochberg discusses the paper and the ongoing trial.

The law was upheld thanks to Chief Justice John Roberts, who sided with the court's more liberal wing, on a very narrow grounds: Instead of saying Congress has the authority to regulate interstate commerce, they said Congress has the authority to levy taxes. And the penalty for people who do not have health care is a tax and therefore constitutional.

This year, Fresh Air's book critic rejects the tyranny of the decimal system and picks 12 titles published in 2014 — all with characters, scenes and voices that linger long past the last page.

Thousands of professional working women are coming together today for a leadership conference at Simmons College in Boston. Host Michel Martin speaks with the college's president, Helen Drinan, about the ups and downs of her own career, and her thoughts on Sheryl Sandberg's new book Lean In.

Darius Rucker, famous for his rock music with Hootie and the Blowfish, has a third country music album out, called True Believers. He speaks with guest host Wade Goodwyn about his inspiration for the tracks on the album and the wide range of country music styles it covers.

According to a new report, historically black colleges and universities are attracting more Asian and Latino students than ever before. Host Michel Martin discusses that and other findings with the report's author, Marybeth Gasman, and Morgan State University President, David Wilson.

Experts warn that Western states and the federal government need to radically increase the number and size of controlled burns to help reduce the ongoing risks of more catastrophic wildfire seasons.