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NPR's Sarah Chayes reports on the grueling Alpine stage of the Tour de France as defending champion Lance Armstrong showed signs of weakness for the first time in two years.

Liane talks with NPR's Sarah Chayes from the streets of Paris about today's finish of the Tour de France bike race. American cyclist Lance Armstrong is poised to win his second straight title.

Noah checks in for the third time with Frankie Andreau, a racer with the US Postal Service Cycling team at the Tour De France. Today's stage was a 36-mile time trial that began in Freiburg, Germany. US Postal Service racer Lance Armstrong placed first today. It's also the first time he won a stage in this year's race. Armstrong and his team, are expected to win the Tour de France on Sunday in Paris.

Fred De Cordova, is the former executive producer of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. In 1988 he wrote his autobiography, Johnny Came Lately, a behind-the-scenes tell-all about the workings of one of television's longest-running and highest rated shows. De Cordova credits include directing Ronald Reagan in Bedtime for Bonzo, directing The Jack Benny Show, The Burns and Allen Show, and My Three Sons. (REBROADCAST from 3

Noah talks with Frankie Andreau, a bike racer on the US Postal Service Team in the Tour de France, about his role in the race. Team work is crucial in the Tour de France and bikers are assigned different roles, like sprinters, climbers and overall workers, who support one or two leaders. Lance Armstrong is the leader on Andreau's team. The rest of the team is always working to conserve Armstrong's energy. Andreau is considered a worker, who may sprint to the front to protect Armstrong from the wind or who may drop back to get something Armstrong needs.

Noah checks in with Frankie Andreau, a domestique with the US Postal team, about racing in the Tour de France. Today riders cranked up Mount Ventoux, a climb of more than six-thousand feet. It's regarded as the toughest part of the race. Andreau's role on the team is to support to the leader, rider Lance Armstrong. Noah also talked with Andreau earlier this month.

NPR's John Ydstie reports California utilities managed to avoid "rolling blackouts" today, but for the 11th day in a row the state spent the day under a Stage 3 alert. On one level, California's power crisis is simple: too much demand, not enough supply. The full explanation is much more complicated, though, and involves a lot of bad luck, a shortage of rainfall and a botched de-regulation plan.

Commentator and cowboy poet Baxter Black has a poem on the struggle between a cowboy and a horse.

The iconic group's early music releasing online at last comes with a renewed interest in its career arc. Take a guided tour through one of the most distinguished runs in hip-hop history.

In the early days of the New Year, French employers summon underlings, treat them to champagne and canapes and wish them Happy New Year. NPR's Nick Spicer looks at this ritual left over from pre-revolutionary days.