Terry Gross

When rock singers want to learn how to use their voice without ruining their vocal chords, they often turn to Melissa Cross, otherwise known as the "Scream Queen." Cross teaches metal, punk and hardcore performers how to growl, bark, bellow — and scream. Cross, who is classically trained, has a new instructional DVD, The Zen of Screaming: Vocal Instruction for a New Breed.

Alex Knott, a political editor at the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, produced the research, which details the expenses shouldered by federal contractors, lobbyists and other groups. Knott covers politics and lobbying at the Center for Public Integrity, which researches and reports on public policy issues.

Comic and journalist Stephen Colbert is the former senior correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. And true to the industry he parodies, Colbert's incisive work has landed him in the anchor's chair on a show of his own: The Colbert Report.