The latest government statistics on the economy show jobless claims up more than expected and consumer spending rising faster than expected — but this is mostly due to soaring prices for gas and food. So what do these numbers add up to? Peter Coy, economic editor for Business Week, joins us with some answers.

Why do so many young men from a small town in Libya wind up as suicide bombers in Iraq?

Saturday's Kentucky Derby is the first jewel in horseracing's Triple Crown and a new book collects some of the best writing about the horses, jockeys, and characters that make the sport so appealing. Joe Drape, who covers horseracing for the New York Times, edited the book and joins us from Louisville to talk about it.

When you have one of those white-knuckle flights, how do you cope? Do you pray? We speak with Alana Newhouse, writer for the Jewish newspaper, The Forward, about the spiritual lessons she learned on the many long flights she took for a six week book tour.

This week Trinity Repertory Company in Providence premieres "Paris by Night" — a new musical by artistic director, Curt Columbus, with music and lyrics by Andre Pluess and Amy Warren. The show is set in 1960 Paris where romances both conventional and unconventional blossom. Here & Now's Ed Siegel talks to Curt Columbus about the show.