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Two memos prepared by Bush administration lawyers and high-ranking officials suggest the president cannot be held to federal and international rules prohibiting torture. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft refused to turn over the documents or say whether President Bush has authorized force or other techniques in interrogation. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

The western Sudanese region of Darfur has been the scene of what many are calling an ethnic cleansing campaign by government-backed Arab militias against the local tribes. The Bush administration is now ratcheting up the rhetoric against the same government that the United States has praised for signing peace protocols to end a separate decades-old conflict. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

U.S. forces suspend offensive operations in Najaf and radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr promises to pull his armed supporters out of the city in the latest sign of a potential end to the standoff there. U.S.-led military and militia loyal to the Shiite leader have been engaged in skirmishes in the area for nearly two months. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

U.S. officials confirm the FBI is investigating whether Ahmad Chalabi told Iranian agents that the United States had broken their country's communications code. Chalabi, a formerly exiled Iraqi leader now back in Baghdad, provided the United States with details, now discredited, about Saddam Hussein's weapons program. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports.

A tenuous cease-fire with the militia of radical Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has yet to take full hold in the holy city of Najaf. Units tied to Sadr fired mortar rounds at U.S. forces at a bridge to neighboring Kufa. It's unclear how much control Sadr has over his fighters. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and NPR's Eric Westervelt.

The debate within the Catholic Church over politicians who disagree with church policy -- specifically, the church's opposition to abortion -- could have an affect on the campaign of Sen. John Kerry, a pro-choice Catholic and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and Peter Steinfels, a religion and ethics columnist for The New York Times and author of A People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America.

The military judge in the cases of three soldiers accused of abusing prisoner at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison will allow the defense to interview U.S. Central Command head Gen. John Abizaid and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the ranking general in Iraq. Col. James Pohl made his rulings during pre-trial motions in the three courts-martial in Baghdad. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

In a 5-4 vote with vast repercussions for the U.S. criminal justice system, the Supreme Court invalidates the criminal sentencing system of Washington state. The court's ruling emphasizes the role of juries in determining sentences, and stirs speculation that the sentencing guidelines used by many states and the federal government won't be able to withstand a constitutional challenge. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

President Bush hosts a summit of the Group of Eight nations in Sea Island, Ga., this week. Though trade and economic issues are on the agenda, Iraq is expected to dominate the discussions. President Bush is trying to win support from world leaders for a U.N. resolution on the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Don Gonyea.

Flight delays and late arrivals have gone down since 1990. At the same time, airlines have increased scheduled flight times because flights are taking longer, and more time is spent taxiing.