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People from Detroit and Boston speak about the status of their retirement savings.

In Kansas, debate continues over how and whether to teach evolution in schools. The state Board of Education appears likely to adopt a proposal to change the state's science standards to accommodate proponents of a new creationist movement.

David McGinnis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies discusses the status of the National Guard. The Guard makes up about one-third of the troops in Iraq, and McGinnis says that it was not designed for this kind of war.

Supporters and opponents of President Bush's proposals for private Social Security accounts are running campaign-style ads -- some of which include misleading claims.

Mary Gauthier, a Louisiana-bred singer with a hardscrabble past, has won critical acclaim for her haunting, sparse melodies. She talks with NPR's Sheilah Cast about her latest CD, Mercy Now.

NPR's Melissa Block looks back on the history of New York State's abortion law. The country's most liberal, abortion law was signed thirty years ago by Governor Nelson Rockefeller.

Nearly a century ago, musician W.C. Handy recorded the first blues hit, "Memphis Blues." In the years that followed, he produced dozens of Billboard chart hits that were re-released again and again. Producer Barrett Golding of the Hearing Voices radio project profiles Handy, "the Father of the Blues."

Ralph Neas is president of People for the American Way, a national social justice organization. He was executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights when he led the successful effort to block the nomination of Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987.

The German shorthaired pointer who won the top prize at Tuesday's Westminster dog show is called Carlee by her owners. But the dog's official name is Ch Kan-Point's VJK Autumn Roses -- a typical name for a champion pure bred. Slate's Andy Bowers explains why show dogs have such lengthy names.

The new law will be observed on Nov. 7 and will honor “the 100 million people who have fallen victim to communist regimes” across the world.

ChoicePoint, Inc., one of the nation's largest collectors of consumer information, has notified over 145,000 Americans of a system security breach and possible identity theft. NPR's Madeleine Brand talks with computer-security consultant Mark Rasch about the incident.

More than 2,500 champion show dogs have descended upon Madison Square Garden for the 129th Westminster Kennel Club's dog show. One of the top African-American handlers in the sport is there, hoping to make history. Allison Keyes reports.

Johnnie Cochran, the attorney who gained fame as O.J. Simpson's defense lawyer in 1995, has died at age 67. Cochran's family says he had a brain tumor. Michele Norris talks about Cochran's life and career with Connie Rice, a Los Angeles civil rights attorney who is co-founder and co-director of the Advancement Project.

The Supreme Court rules in a 5-3 vote that workers in some cases can win age discrimination claims in court without proving intentional discrimination. The court said employers adopting policies that disproportionately affect workers over the age of 40 can be sued.

Lawyer Johnnie Cochran, who led the defense team that won an acquittal for O.J. Simpson, died Tuesday in Los Angeles of a brain tumor at age 67. A look back at the life and career of the celebrity attorney who became a household name, thanks to the Simpson trial.

Stocks continue to slump on fears about inflation – and whether the Federal Reserve can bring down prices without sparking a recession.

A report by a presidential commission investigating pre-war intelligence in Iraq offers a bleak view of intelligence-gathering and analysis. It includes a similarly grim assessment of efforts in Iran and North Korea and offers recommendations to improve the process.

Gary Larson's "The Far Side" cartoons delighted in placing bugs in hilariously human situations. A scientist at Oregon State University uses Larson's cartoons to help students learn -- and laugh -- about insects.

NPR's Julie Rovner describes why lawsuit reform is such a key issue for President Bush and the specific measures he is backing.

The Pentagon receives the results of another investigation into alleged abuse of prisoners by the U.S. military, this one focusing on harsh interrogations at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It's the seventh major report on alleged torture techniques since last year's scandal at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

NPR's Mike Pesca reports on the controversy surrounding Alberto Gonzales, the current White House chief counsel nominated by President Bush to succeed U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who will step down. Senate confirmation hearings for Gonzales begin Thursday, and he is expected to face some harsh questioning over a memo he wrote that seems to justify torture in the so-called war on terror.

We explore the tsunami's impact on the small village of Ondachchimadam, on the east coast of Sri Lanka. NPR will revisit the village periodically over the next year to chart its progress in the tragedy's aftermath. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

NPR's Ina Jaffe joins NPR's Alex Chadwick to preview Wednesday night's California "state-of-the-state" address in capital of Sacramento. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger faces many challenges, the most difficult of which is likely the state's $8-billion budget shortfall.

Growing use of methamamphetamine among the gay community has public health officials worried. A recent study that showed a link between crystal meth use and unprotected sex among gays also found that users were significantly more likely to be HIV positive than non-users.

Johnnie Cochran died Tuesday at the age of 67 from a brain tumor. NPR's Ed Gordon looks back on his career with Rev. Al Sharpton and Danny Bakewell, executive publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper.