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The president will announce in his State of the Union address that he's signing an executive order to lift the pay in new federal contracts. A top adviser tells NPR that Obama has "warmed up to" the idea of using executive orders to move his agenda ahead.

Calls for Rick Santorum to leave the Republican race only increased after he failed to win any of Tuesday's primaries. But if Santorum and his team were close to taking that advice, that didn't come across in an interview NPR's Audie Cornish, an All Things Considered co-host, conducted with John Brabender, a top adviser to the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.

After the 2008 Olympics, organizers re-wrote the rules to outlaw Speedo's lightning-fast full-body swimsuits. The company went back to the drawing board and came up with a new system — and it's helping speed top swimmers like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte to the medal stand.

John Brennan is one of the president's top national security aides. A veteran of the CIA, he was the agency's deputy executive director during President George W. Bush's administration. Brennan has said he opposed many of the Bush administration's policies, including the use of waterboarding.

Rock critic KEN TUCKER reviews two new collections: guitarist Rick Holstrom''s "Look Out," (Black Top) and Ronnie Dawson''s "Just Rockin'' & Rollin''" (Upstart).INT. 2: Author and journalist, MARSHALL FRADY. His new book is "Jesse: The Life and Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson (Random House). The book tells the story of Jackson''s ambitious life, from his illegitimate birth in poverty stricken South Carolina through his years working with Martin Luther King and his unprecedented runs for the presidency. FRADY writes about political figures and social and racial tensions in the United States for the New Yorker. His first two biographies were about George Wallace and Billy Graham. REV. 2: Book critic MAUREEN CORRIGAN reviews "Hellman and Hammett" by Joan Mellen (A chronicle of the unconventional 30 year relationship between mystery writer Dashiell Hammett and playwright Lillian Hellman.

Supply chain backlogs are making it hard to get some top holiday gifts, including the Magic Mixies Cauldron. Parents are turning to third parties, where the toy is selling for well over $100.

The diary contains handwritten notes by Alfred Rosenberg, a top aide to Adolf Hitler who helped shape Nazi ideology. Sara Bloomfield, director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, says it took 17 years to procure the diary.

"Gangnam Style," the pop song by the South Korean artist known as Psy came out ten years ago, topping charts in over 30 countries.

For 15 years, Elson has graced magazine covers and runways as a top fashion model. But these days, it's her voice that's attracting attention. Elson's debut, The Ghost Who Walks, is a roots-rock album with a bit of a dark side; it was produced by her husband, musician Jack White.

If you're tired of winter, Top Chef finalist Carla Hall has an early taste of spring: smooth, cool grapefruit-mint panna cotta with a tart red wine and pomegranate sauce.