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During the first few months of the Iraq war, field historians armed with digital recorders conducted hundred of interviews with U.S. Marines, often fresh off the battlefield. The raw recordings offer a stirring, intimate look of the triumphs and failures on the road to Baghdad. NPR's Jackie Northam reports.

Secretary of State Colin Powell makes a surprise visit to Baghdad on the first anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. At a news conference marking the anniversary, Iraq journalists stage a walkout to protest the lack of security in the country and the killing of two of their colleagues by U.S. troops on Thursday. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

NPR's Alex Chadwick reports on the case of Dudley Hiibel. Four years ago, Hiibel refused to show his identification to a deputy who was investigating a report of domestic abuse, and was arrested and charged with obstructing a police officer. Hiibel fought the charges all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears his case today.

The court says it's routine for justices to circulate draft opinions internally. It's part of a larger procedure that involves deliberating, voting and assigning writers.

President Bush on Friday welcomed foreign diplomats to the White House to commemorate the anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The president said the world was safer with Saddam Hussein deposed, and warned those present that there was no middle ground between "good and evil." NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

For NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, basketball is neither a game nor a business; it's a way of life. Whether on the court or as a Knicks executive, his desire to win has always brought both criticism and success. Thomas talks with NPR's John Ydstie about his concept of the game, his past coaches and rivals, and how he adjusts to today's NBA players.

NPR's Ivan Watson sees Baghdad through the eyes of a taxi driver. Ala Lefta is the driver and co-owner of one of the thousands of Korean-made mini-bus taxis that ferry passengers across the Iraqi capital. A year after the U.S. invasion, Ala wants soldiers deployed in the streets to break up the endless traffic jams and remove the danger of carjackers.

Fighting at Pakistan's Afghan border ceases as tribal elders in the region try to negotiate a resolution to end the holdout of al Qaeda fighters. The area has been under attack by Pakistani troops since Tuesday, when officials determined key Taliban figures -- possibly including Osama bin Laden deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri -- were in the area. Hear NPR's Michael Sullivan.

At the crack of dawn this Saturday, a 200-mile race across the Mojave Desert begins. The competitors are robotic vehicles taking on the form of SUVs, dune buggies and golf carts. It's a contest sponsored by the Pentagon to spur advancements in the field of robotics. NPR's Melissa Block talks with competitor Red Whittaker.

The White House denies it had advance knowledge of Israel's plan to kill Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, which has threatened to retaliate against Israel and the United States. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice points to signs of progress in the Mideast peace process, despite Yassin's killing. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry, has named a search committee to vet his short list of potential running mates. But choosing a vice presidential candidate isn't easy, and history is full of selections that didn't turn out the way the top of the ticket intended. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

Ukrainian and international experts believe it will take years, if not decades, to build cases and prosecute people. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office has opened more than 9,000 investigations.

Pakistani authorities say they believe their troops have cornered Osama bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, near the Afghan-Pakistan border. Pakistani forces are engaged in a fierce battle there with tribal leaders and al Qaeda fighters. U.S. officials say they cannot confirm the reports. Hear NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.

U.S. government investigators say Saddam Hussein illegally raked in more than $10 billion while Iraq was under U.N. sanctions. Officials tell members of Congress that Saddam made money by violating the rules of the oil-for-food program, smuggling oil, adding surcharges and collecting kickbacks. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

NPR's John Ydstie and ethicist Randy Cohen discuss the dilemma of listener Scott Williams in Palouse, Washington. Williams wants to know whether he should join the boycott of a coffee shop whose owner attends a church he finds offensive. The pastor of that church argues that the Bible justifies slavery.

Five incumbent Democrats are retiring from the Senate this year, all from the South. With the region considered prime Bush territory, Republicans see a historic opportunity to make major gains and solidify their control of the Senate. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

NPR's Jackie Northam continues her report on the field interviews by historians embedded with U.S. Marines leading the invasion of Iraq last year.

Martin Indyk, an assistant secretary of state during the Clinton administration, says Libya's decision to give up its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction was not prompted by the downfall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, as claimed by the Bush administration. Libya, he says, offered to give up the weapons five years ago. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Indyk.

Shiite militias in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra have been patrolling the streets and cracking down on the sale of music, pornography and alcohol. Many residents now fear criticizing the city's Islamic parties, and British forces occupying the area worry the militias are undermining their activities. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

The Food and Drug Administration says patients on some popular antidepressants should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide. The agency asked the makers of 10 drugs to add the caution to their product labels. In changing its requirement, the FDA stressed that it is not yet clear that the drugs actually lead to suicide. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

NPR's Claudio Sanchez examines the little-known school desegregation case of Mendez v. Westminster. This California case won access for Mexican Americans to white schools in 1947 and helped set the stage seven years later for Brown v. Board of Education.

In the second part of Morning Edition's series on Latin American cities, NPR's Gerry Hadden reports on the dark political climate of Guatemala City. The capital city, like Guatemala itself, has been scarred by decades of bloodshed, coups, and authoritarian governments.

A new survey of the best cities for business finds that affordability is more important than being fashionable. As a result, Inc. magazine put Riverside and San Bernardino, Calif., and the New Jersey cities of Camden and Newark high on its list. See the magazine's lists of the best and worst places for companies to thrive.

In testimony before the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, top officials from both the Clinton and Bush administrations defend their policies on the terrorist threat. The commission finds efforts against al Qaeda were hampered by a lack of intelligence, failed diplomatic overtures toward the Taliban and competing demands. Hear NPR's Pam Fessler.

Critic Tom Manoff has discovered 17th-century Italy and the music of Anno 1630. In the project, three musicians take the music of little-known composers from the early Renaissance period and perform it, using an ancient newly refurbished organ, harp and violin. The CD Anno 1630 is on the Winter and Winter label.