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Federal flood insurance has become dramatically more expensive in some places, putting it out of reach for many people who live on floodplains.

Houses of worship are still trying to recover from the damage done by the superstorm last fall. The government has encouraged them to apply for aid, but it's not clear whether they'll qualify. For some, even disaster relief would break down the boundary between "church and state."

The Mount Charleston blue butterfly is found only in a couple of small patches high in Nevada's Spring Mountains. But the Carpenter 1 fire, which has been raging through the area since July 1, is threatening the land and scientists fear the fire could push the butterflies into extinction.

New pumping and irrigation systems made it easy for farmers to extract billions of gallons of water from the High Plains Aquifer. But now, parts of the aquifer are dried out, prompting a debate over how to preserve what once seemed to be an almost inexhaustible resource.

India's Supreme Court has temporarily banned tourism in core areas of the country's 41 tiger reserves. The unexpected and controversial ruling is aimed at protecting the last of India's 1,700 tigers.

It's been almost 20 years since Irvine Welsh first introduced Rent, Spud and Sick Boy — a group of gritty characters struggling to survive a grim, heroin-fueled existence in late-1980s Edinburgh. Welsh brings the boys back in his new prequel, Skagboys.

Guitar legend Buddy Guy has been called the bridge between the blues and rock 'n' roll. In his new memoir, When I Left Home, Guy describes what he calls his second birthday: the day he left his home of Louisiana for Chicago, the blues capital of the world. Originally broadcast on June 5, 2012.

Thor Hanson's new book looks at the evolutionary significance of feathers in birds. Hanson tells Fresh Air that he's amazed by birds' magnitude of feathers, how feathers grow and how they're the "most efficient insulation known."

The Mississippi River is at historically low levels. The Army Corps of Engineers says the river will likely be able to stay open through the month, but soon it may be too shallow in parts for barge traffic. There have been calls for the corps to release water from reservoirs along the Mississippi.

Eastern Oregon is known more for ranching than abstract sculpture, but some residents are venturing into the world of fine art. For the last five years, Whit Deschner has been organizing the Great Salt Lick Contest, which gathers salt blocks artfully licked by local farm animals.