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Gunmen hold hundreds of hostages, many of them children, in a Russian school near Chechnya for a second day. President Vladimir Putin calls the action "horrifying" and says the lives of the hostages are his main priority. Twenty-six women and children were released early Thursday. NPR's Lawrence Sheets reports.

Two federal judges rule that only poll workers may challenge voter eligibility in Ohio, warning that Republican and Democratic plans would disrupt the polling process. Appeals have already been filed in the key swing state. Hear Janet Babin of member station WCPN.

Mardy Murie, a pioneering conservationist who played a pivotal role in the establishment of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, died Sunday at age 101. A vigorous lobbyist for wilderness protection, Murie helped create both the Wilderness Society and the federal Wilderness Act. Hear NPR's Howard Berkes.

Baghdad's continuing electricity shortage creates growing frustration in the restive postwar atmosphere. Summer temperatures reaching 120 degrees contribute to the distress. And consumers violently oppose a plan to equalize distribution of electricity across the country. Restoring 24-hour service to the Iraqi capital may take two years. NPR's Anne Garrels reports.

President Bush will meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari at the White House on Friday. The meeting comes amid declining support in U.S. polls for the war and growing calls in Congress for a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

John Kerry says he would make America's military stronger if he were president. The Democratic nominee, speaking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, criticized President Bush's proposed reductions in U.S. troop levels abroad. NPR's Juan Williams reports.

In Baghdad, power is transferred from the U.S. occupation authority to Iraq's interim government, two days earlier than had been scheduled. After the new cabinet was sworn in, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi vowed to crush the Iraqi insurgency. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

The U.S. national basketball team, led by coach Mike Krzyzewski and NBA stars such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, loses to Greece in the semifinals of the world basketball championships. The team was unbeaten in its first seven games before falling to a veteran Greek team.

A heart attack claims the legendary Boston Celtics coach and GM. He built a sports dynasty in Boston Garden, leading the Celtics to 16 titles.

Dan Kurtzer, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, discusses the prospects for next week's Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Md. Among the issues for leaders will be security for Israelis and Palestinians, Palestinian refugees and Israeli settlements.