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They are jobs nobody would seem to want -- but somebody has to do them. As Morning Edition kicks off its "Dirty Work" series, NPR's David Molpus looks at the hot and sticky job of cleaning out oil storage tanks.

Istalif, an hour's drive north of Kabul, sits in the heart of Shomali Plain, once the breadbasket of Afghanistan. The Taliban forced hundreds of thousands of people from the region and destroyed their farms, shops and homes. Now the villagers are starting to return. On Morning Edition, Renee Montagne reports on their efforts in the debut of a series on rebuilding Afghanistan.

Environmentalists have been wary of the Bush administration since its first day in office. They say reforms proposed by the president will be disastrous for the environment. The government maintains it is simply making it easier and more affordable for businesses to obey environmental laws. NPR's John Nielsen reports for Morning Edition.

Depending on which proud relative you talk to, the hamburger was invented at a state fair, a world's fair or a lunch counter. But whoever gave the burger its start probably never imagined how popular it would become. Monday on Morning Edition, NPR's Pam Fessler has the juicy story as part of the Present at the Creation series.

NPR's Jacki Lyden visits Castle Leslie, made famous when Paul McCartney was married there, and finds an 84-year-old disco-dancing host and his collection of ghostly artifacts.

A new study offers even more evidence that hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women is risky. Researchers say women taking estrogen-only pills are at greater risk for ovarian cancer. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports for All Things Considered.

Diane Arbus' mysterious photo of girl twins is one of modern photography's most recognizable images. On Morning Edition, as part of NPR's Present at the Creation series, Madeleine Brand has the story behind the famous 1967 photo of sisters who are identical but not the same.

Writer Michael Pollan. His book, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World takes a look at four plants cultivated by humans: the apple, the tulip, potatoes and marijuana. Pollan demonstrates that plants and humans have developed a reciprocal, co-evolutionary relationship: do we plant potatoes, or do potatoes seduce us into planting them? Pollan questions the assumption that we are in charge of our agriculture. The book is now in paperback.

All Things Considered asked NPR listeners to send in questions about the conflict over Kashmir, and then posed those questions to South Asia scholars. Hear the experts' answers, and see their suggestions for online resources on the Kashmir region and conflict.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a number of CDs devoted to the music of Hoagy Carmichael: Stardust Melody (Bluebird); Hoagy Sings Carmichael (Pacific Jazz); Stardust Melody: Beloved and Rare Songs of Hoagy Carmichael (A-Records); Bill Charlap: Stardust (BlueNote).