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From circa 1951: Sociologist and educator Charles S. Johnson tells how faith, morality and empathy helped lift his family from slavery and influence his own work for social justice in the United States.

North Korean officials promise to abandon the country's nuclear weapons program in exchange for oil, energy aid and security guarantees. The agreement was announced in Beijing during six-nation talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program.

With bankruptcy filings by Delta and Northwest Wednesday, it's becoming easier to list the major airlines that are in Chapter 11 than those that aren't. In a filing submitted after the stock market closed, Delta listed debt totaling more than $28 billion. Minneapolis-based Northwest is in somewhat better shape.

Massive reconstruction efforts in the wake of catastrophes aren't without precedent in America. A number of U.S. cities have had to rebuild from the rubble.

Iraq President Jalal Talabani says he believes voters will approve his country's draft constitution in a national referendum. Sunnis have a majority in three provinces, enough to sink the document if they vote it down.

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff faces a Senate committee hearing next week and the Justice Department is looking into his activities as well. The charge that Abramoff billed Indian tribes millions of dollars and took members of Congress on luxury trips overseas has made many in Washington nervous. Many powerful lawmakers of both parties did business with Abramoff -- including Ohio Republican Bob Ney.

The U.S. Senate this week issued a resolution apologizing for the federal government's failure to act against the lynchings that claimed thousands of lives from 1880 to 1968. Slate senior editor Andy Bowers explains what motivates the government to issue apologies for actions that are often many decades in the past.

Nearly 200 illegal immigrants have been arrested in New England during the largest fugitive operation of its kind. Most of those arrested had outstanding deportation orders for violent crimes.

President Bush is close to selecting his first nominee to the Supreme Court. The announcement could come anytime this week. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, talks about the process of reviewing potential candidates for the Supreme Court vacancy.

After leaving the avant-garde band Soul Coughing, Mike Doughty toured across the country playing stripped-down solo acoustic gigs at small clubs. Haughty Melodic is his first full-length album as a solo artist.

Host Ed Gordon talks with civil rights activist and actress Ruby Dee about what she's doing now, her plans for the future and her memories of her husband Ossie Davis, who died in February.

Israel's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip beginning Aug. 17 has been controversial within Israel and raises huge challenges for Palestinian leaders. Mideast Correspondent Peter Kenyon answers questions about the pullout.

In what is likely to be the largest computer-information breach yet reported, MasterCard says a computer hacker gained access to 40 million credit-card accounts. Many other credit card companies were affected. What should customers do?

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice conferred Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The discussions focused on what both sides might need to do to move the peace process forward.

A "senior official involved in policy since the 2003 invasion" of Iraq tells The Washington Post that U.S. expectations in Iraq were "never realistic given the timetable or what unfolded on the ground." Robert Siegel talks with James Fallows, National Correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, who has written extensively on Iraq.

Today's high-fashion fabrics go beyond natural fibers like cotton and silk. High-tech microfibers and processes that make clothes spill-resistant are among fashion-changing trends. Leda Hartman reports for NPR's 2004 fashion series.

NPR's Mike Pesca reports from the Republican National Convention in New York City on how candidates push the boundaries between truth and "spin" in the political process.

A group of Bushmen from the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, touring America to gain support for their legal battle to fight extradition from their ancestral lands, hike the hills and beaches of Malibu.

Utilities begin the process of rebuilding power lines and restoring electricity in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Charley. Hundreds of thousands of residents in the area around Port Charlotte remain without power. Utility officials warn it will take weeks to restore power completely. Hear NPR's Phillip Davis.

Google reduces the amount of stock it will sell and lowers the price range of its initial public offering. The Internet search company will sell 5.5 million shares at $85 a share. The move came on the same day that the Securities and Exchange Committee approved Google's plan to sell stock in an auction process. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Raymond Hennessy of The Wall Street Journal.

Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 foreshadowed America's current battle against terrorism. NPR's Mike Shuster concludes his series on the long, turbulent history of Western involvement in the Middle East with a look at the U.S. clash with Islam.

Lost and Found Sound looks at the Green Street Mortuary Band from San Francisco's Chinatown. More than 300 Chinese families a year hire the band to give their loved ones a proper and musical send-off through the streets of Chinatown. For more than 50 years, this amateur band performed for its community at nearly every big event.

In the latest Politically Speaking column, Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving says the political conventions serve just one basic purpose -- to feed the media.

Bypassing the Senate Judiciary Committee's usual drafting and editing process, Senate Republicans plan to send a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage straight to the Senate floor next month. Democrats accuse GOP leaders of trying to force them to take a stand on gay marriage just before the Democratic National Convention. Hear NPR's David Welna.

The Union of Concerned Scientists recently issued a report accusing the Bush administration of distorting the science advisory process and ignoring advice in conflict with the White House agenda. The report reflects growing criticism from senior scientists over the way the administration makes decisions on science policy. NPR's Joe Palca reports.