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Damage estimates of the four hurricanes that have hit Florida this season put the costs as high as $20 billion. Damages from Hurricane Jeanne, which struck over the weekend, are estimated at $5 billion to $8 billion. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Greg Fields of The Miami Herald.

President Bush has strengthened his pre-election advantage over Sen. John Kerry, according to a poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. The survey of registered voters shows the president leading Sen. Kerry 48 to 40. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Andrew Kohut of the Pew Center.

President Bush and Sen. John Kerry trade blows on Iraq in new attack ads. A Bush ad uses Kerry's fondness for windsurfing to suggest he has too often changed his mind on issues. The Kerry camp calls the ad "tasteless and juvenile."

Briton Kenneth Bigley, one of three workers kidnapped in Iraq last week, pleads for his life in a video released over the Internet by his captors. Two hostages held with Bigley, Americans Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley, have been killed. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

At least 20 people are killed when a car bomb explodes near a crowd of men seeking jobs with the Iraqi National Guard in Kirkuk. It's the latest in a series of attacks targeting Iraq's nascent security forces. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and Rajiv Chandrasekeran of "The Washington Post".

Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, appears before a judge in Baghdad. The captured dictator was defiant in court, rejecting the accusations against him and refusing to sign a charge sheet acknowledging that he had been advised of his rights. His trial is not expected to begin until next year. NPR's Deborah Amos reports.

New security regulations are taking effect at ports around the world, under a treaty signed by 148 nations. The International Ship and Port Facility Code requires that ships have a security officer and an alarm signal that can alert the country of registration in times of emergency, along with other measures. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel.

Sen. John Kerry is expected to name a running mate soon, but the timing remains a matter for speculation. Campaign officials say the Democratic contender will make his choice known via an e-mail sent to subscribers of Kerry's Web site. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and Los Angeles Times reporter Matea Gold.

President Bush, campaigning in Western swing states, repeats his stance that the invasion and occupation of Iraq is part of the fight against the al Qaeda terrorist network. A report to the Sept. 11 commission, delivered this week, concluded there is "no credible evidence" that such a link existed. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay is indicted by a grand jury on unnamed charges related to the energy company's collapse. Lay, who insists on his innocence, plans to surrender to authorities in Houston Thursday morning, when a hearing is scheduled. NPR's Melissa Block talks with Mary Flood of The Houston Chronicle.