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When Brian O. Selznick wrote The Invention of Hugo Cabaret — a graphic novel about an orphan in 1930s Paris — he imagined the secret spaces of a Paris train station. For inspiration, he visited Grand Central Terminal in New York City. But the scenes in the book — hidden tunnels, secret rooms, the giant clock tower — were all drawn from Selznick's imagination and later turned into the movie Hugo by Martin Scorcese, which is nominated for 12 Academy Awards. Selznick recently got to explore Grand Central's secrets for the first time and it turns out that life imitated art in shockingly faithful ways.

On Wednesday, New Jersey's Republican Gov. Chris Christie put the final kibosh on a massive rail project connecting New York and New Jersey. It was the nation's most expensive public works project under way before Christie halted construction last month, citing cost overruns that would ultimately burden New Jersey taxpayers. His decision comes despite pleas from federal and local officials to reconsider. WNYC's Andrea Bernstein reports.

With world leaders and dignitaries flying in from all over the world, this is how authorities in London are planning to keep everyone safe.

Across the Midwest, farmland prices more than doubled over the past two years — making it difficult for young farmers to grow their businesses.

A bench has gone missing in Philadelphia this week – and not for the first time. For skateboarders, the 13 feet of curved steel isn't just a bench. It's a storied treasure.

Former President Trump says that the FBI has raided his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. He's claiming he's being persecuted for political reasons. The Justice Department is not commenting.

Tess Gerritsen — a physician turned thriller writer — is the author of more than 15 thrillers. Her series about police detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles has been adapted into TV show, which debuts Monday on TNT. She recommends Ken Follett's Eye of the Needle.

Classical Greeks and Romans dreamed up some fantastic inventions — including an analog computer to track the sun, and amphitheater surround sound (of sorts). Historian Vicki Leon discusses these innovations and more in her new book, How to Mellify a Corpse: And Other Human Stories of Ancient Science & Superstition.

Punting the ball on fourth down seems like tried-and-true football wisdom. But the authors of Scorecasting argue that like many sports cliches, this one is based more on perceptions than on hard evidence.

Writing sex scenes is a tricky business. Do it really badly and you could be awarded the annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award, like this year's winner, novelist Rowan Somerville.