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Crude oil prices rise to a new record high, despite word from Saudi Arabia's oil minister that his country will increase production. While higher oil prices mean higher gas costs for motorists, other elements are involved in the final price at the pump, experts say. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with the Oil Price Information Service.

U.S. forces move closer to one of Shiite Islam's most sacred sites, the Imam Ali shrine in the city of Najaf. Militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr engage in fierce firefights in the vast cemetery surrounding the shrine with U.S. troops backed by tanks. There are reports the shrine may be damaged by the fighting. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Baghdad.

Independent groups producing political advertisements hoping to influence the 2004 presidential election are now more prolific than ever. By one count, there have been more than 50 such ads so far, mostly from groups allied to the Democrats including MoveOn.org and The Media Fund. Now GOP-leaning groups are also joining the fray. NPR's John McChesney reports.

President Bush holds his first formal news conference of the year Tuesday night, as the White House finds itself on the defensive. Bush faces intense questioning about the ongoing violence in Iraq and about the administration's handling of intelligence regarding terrorist threats prior to the Sept. 11 attacks. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and NPR's Don Gonyea.

President George Bush begins a two-day campaign bus trip through Midwestern swing states with visits to Kalamazoo and Niles, two cities in Michigan -- a state he failed to win in the 2000 race. Bush is scheduled to speak in Ohio Tuesday -- another key state in the upcoming election. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and NPR's Don Gonyea.

Rising U.S. casualties, confusion about U.S. efforts to end violence in places such as Fallujah, and allegations of Iraqi prisoner abuse have many questioning the viability of U.S. policy on Iraq. Many blame the lack of a clear chain of command for the chaos. Some analysts say U.S. goals for Iraq are no longer attainable. Hear NPR's Mike Shuster.

An Iraqi nuclear scientist who spent years in the Abu Ghraib prison under Saddam Hussein has emerged as a top U.N. choice to become prime minister in Iraq's interim government, an Iraqi official says. A moderate Shiite, Hussain al-Shahristani is known for his management skills and has no formal ties to any Iraqi political party. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Africa next week to examine the situation in the Darfur region in Western Sudan, where government-backed militias are accused of carrying out rape, murder and forced evacuations against black farming communities. U.S. officials say they are investigating whether the situation amounts to genocide, but a growing number of lawmakers say the case is already clear. Hear NPR's Michele Kelemen.

Nearly two months of running battles between U.S. troops and radical Shiite militiamen in the southern Iraqi cities of Najaf and Kufa may be over. The U.S.-appointed provincial governor says both sides will withdraw from the cities, home to some of the most sacred shrines in Shiite Islam. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and NPR's Deborah Amos.

Leaders from around the world join President Bush and President Jacques Chirac in France to commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day. World War II veterans also marked the day at services at the American cemetery in Normandy. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.