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Recent attacks on oil pipelines and on U.S. soldiers in Iraq were the work of Saddam Hussein loyalists, criminals and "jihadists who came in from Syria for the most part," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says. Hear Rumsfeld's interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Melissa Block talks with Shashi Tharoor, United Nations under-secretary general, about Tuesday's bomb blast in Baghdad that killed Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N. special representative to Iraq.

West Nile virus has arrived in California, and experts are carefully monitoring its spread through measures such as placing sentinel animals, like chickens, near mosquito breeding grounds. As NPR's John Nielsen reports, health officials hope to stall the disease and spare the state costly public health measures.

Saudi Arabia reacts angrily to recent American claims that Saudi citizens are crossing the border with Iraq to fight a holy war against occupying U.S. troops. The Saudi government says it's carefully monitoring the border, but adds there is only so much it can do. Hear NPR's Kate Seelye.

NPR's Jacki Lyden talks with author Jill Jonnes about her new book, Empires of Light, a history of the men who pioneered the electrification of America.

Scotland is famous for its whisky, of course, but there's another brew the locals crave. IRN BRU, an achingly sweet orange soda, outsells all rivals -- even the ubiquitous Coca-Cola. NPR's Susan Stone reports.

In the latest installment of the series "Honky Tonk, Hymns and the Blues," NPR's Paul Brown explores the origins of the country fiddle — from Eck Robertson to the very word, "fiddle." Paul also explains why it's called "the Devil's box."

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports on the complex system of water rights. Most of these claims date back more than a century. Individuals holding the oldest rights have the best chance of getting the most water.

Music Trade Magazine selected PRS Guitars as its 2002 company of the year. NPR's Jacki Lyden toured the PRS factory and talked with CEO Paul Reed Smith about the exacting art of making guitars. See photos of PRS guitars being built and tested.

Forty years ago Thursday, radio storyteller Jean Shepherd took a crowded bus from New York City to participate in the March on Washington. The next day, he went on the air and shared the experience from his perspective in the crowds. He had been surprised by the good-natured attitude of most of the demonstrators, and by how they had been received by regular people walking around in the city. We hear an excerpt from his broadcast of Aug. 29, 1963.

The Bush administration is expected to ask Congress for a significant increase in funds for the reconstruction of Iraq. U.S. Iraq administrator Paul Bremer says he is seeking another $3 billion. Members of Congress say the initial $2.5 billion supplemental appropriation for Iraq is all but spent. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

Robert Siegel talks with Ambassador James Dobbins, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the Rand Corporation, about the challenges of rebuilding Iraq after Tuesday's bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.

Testifying before a judicial inquiry, top British intelligence official John Scarlett denies that his office was pressured by Prime Minister Tony Blair's staff to exaggerate evidence showing that Iraq posed an imminent threat to Britain. New polls suggest 67 percent of Britons believe Blair misled the public about the Iraqi threat. Hear NPR's Guy Raz.

This summer, All Things Considered is airing portions of stump speeches from the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. Tuesday we hear an excerpt of a speech from former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.

So far this year, health officials report more than 1,300 human cases and 19 deaths from West Nile virus. Those numbers are certain to climb in the next few weeks. Yet as NPR's Jon Hamilton reports, experts insist that the risk of dying or becoming seriously ill from the mosquito-borne disease is remarkably small.

In the latest in our series of selections from campaign speeches by the Democratic presidential hopefuls, we present an excerpt from Rep. Dick Gephardt's speech this morning in New Hampshire.

A car bomb explodes near the Baghdad police station, wounding at least 14 people and damaging the offices of the U.S.-appointed police chief. The blast comes four days after an explosion at a Najaf mosque killed a top Shiite cleric and at least 80 others. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson and Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College.

In 1911, a deadly fire swept through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, killing about 150 workers. Many of those who died were poor, immigrant women. A new book details the blaze, and the sweeping set of workplace labor reforms that followed. NPR's Bob Edwards talks to David Von Drehle about his new book, Triangle: the Fire that Changed America. Hear an extended interview with Von Drehle.

Pianist and composer Dave Brubeck talks about the similarities between classical and jazz. He says a good melody works well with a jazz quartet or a symphony orchestra.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with historian Juan Cole of the University of Michigan about Friday's bombing of a mosque in the southern Iraqi town of Najaf.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with two Iraqi imigris, Adid Dawish, a political scientist at Miami University of Ohio, and Isam al Khafaji, a professor of nation formation at the University of Amsterdam, about the challenges that lie ahead for the people of Iraq.

On August 28, 1963, a quarter million people braved the heat and humidity of the nation's capital to fight for their rights. NPR Senior Correspondent Juan Williams ends the four-part series on March on Washington with the voices that brought power and weight to this historical moment.

A senior Iraqi official who was assigned to work with Hans Blix and other U.N. weapons inspectors turned himself in to U.S. troops early in the war. He is still in detention and has since been labeled a prisoner of war. His German-born wife, Hilma al-Saadi, talks about his work under the old regime and her efforts to determine why he's still in custody. NPR's Anne Garrels reports.

Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States will seek a new U.N. Security Council resolution that might convince more countries to contribute troops to stabilization efforts in Iraq. But Powell stresses that the United States has no plans to give up its authority over security operations, as some governments have suggested. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

A probe into the largest electrical outage in U.S. history focuses on an area in northern Ohio, where an investigator says three transmission lines failed just before the blackout. In New York City, power has been restored to most areas. But grid overseers warn of more rolling blackouts as a new work week begins. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden, NPR's Scott Horsley and NPR's Mike Pesca.