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Saddled with a slumping economy, the White House makes changes among the president's economic advisers. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and adviser Lawrence Lindsey both resign. The administration is expected to announce a new Treasury chief quickly. NPR's John Ydstie and NPR's Lynn Neary report.

Pope John Paul II names auxiliary bishop Richard Lennon to take temporary charge of the Boston Archdiocese, after Cardinal Bernard Law resigns as archbishop. Meanwhile, Catholic lay groups lobby for a voice in the choice of Law's successor. Hear NPR's Duncan Moon and Larry Stammer of the Los Angeles Times

NPR's Diplomatic Correspondent Ted Clark reports a former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs has recommended new steps to bolster support for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban. The treaty was rejected by the Senate in 1999. In a report to President Clinton, Retired General John Shalikashvili recommends a number of steps aimed at overcoming opposition to the pact.

NPR's John Ydstie reports the Federal Reserve caught the financial markets by surprise today moving to cut interest rates in a bid to keep the economy growing. Acting between regularly scheduled meetings, the Fed cut the federal-funds rate by a half-point and reduced the largely symbolic discount rate by a quarter-point. Both the Dow and the Nasdaq shot up on the news.

Searchers near the Texas-Louisiana border continue their search for debris in an effort to determine what caused the space shuttle Columbia to break apart upon re-entry Feb. 1. In Austin, Texas, officials rely on the latest technologies to aid in the investigation. Hear NPR's Joe Palca and NPR's John Nielsen.

Anita Bugg reports that Masatoshi Ono, Chairman and CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., announced his retirement Tuesday in Nashville, effective immediately. Company officials named John Lampe, an executive vice president, as Ono's successor at the embattled company, which recalled six-and-a-half-million tires in August. The company faces scores of lawsuits in connection with fatal accidents blamed on faulty Firestone tires.

U.S. President Bill Clinton ended his historic three- day visit to Vietnam Sunday with a call for stronger relations between the two countries. Now, a new collection of poetry is giving American readers an insight into one of Vietnam's most famous poets, Ho Xuan Huong, an 18th century woman. The collection is called Spring Essence and it's translated by John Balaban. Bridget Kinsella reports.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the FBI will encrypt the video of Timothy McVeigh's execution. It's part of the effort to prevent any one to hack into the line and broadcast the images. Linda Wertheimer talks with Mark Rasch, Vice President of Cyberlaw at Predictive Systems in Washington D.C.

The confirmation hearing for John Bolton, President Bush's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, continues. Senators have questioned Bolton about highly critical remarks he has made about the United Nations and whether he pressured intelligence analysts who disagreed with him.

Pope John Paul II is being fed through a nasal tube in order to boost his calorie intake, the Vatican says. The announcement followed the pontiff's unexpected brief appearance at his window over St. Peter's Square in Rome, during which he tried, but was unable, to speak.

Some analysts argue that abuses at Abu Ghraib stemmed from confusion over the legal status of Iraqi prisoners. Jennifer Ludden takes a closer look with John Yoo, a former Justice Department legal counsel who helped write the so-called "torture memos," and Karen Greenberg, editor of The Torture Papers: The Road to Abu Ghraib.

The Bush administration's approval of a plan to increase communication between satellite surveillance agencies could possibly improve efforts to study the global environment. The cooperation may help researchers track changes to their causes. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry says President Bush is "in denial" about events in Iraq, criticizing the president's speech to the United Nations. Kerry says Bush lacks the credibility to win international support. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

Writer Calvin Trillin is crafting small poems about the proceedings of the Democratic National Convention each day this week. Today, he takes stock of Teresa Heinz Kerry, John Kerry's wife. Trillin's latest book is Obliviously On He Sails: The Bush Administration in Rhyme, published by Random House.

On the campaign trail, Sen. John Kerry and President Bush each accuse the other of costing voters more money. Kerry criticizes Bush for a sharp increase in health insurance costs. Bush predicts that Kerry will raise taxes. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

President Bush and Sen. John Kerry fight over the "swing state" of Ohio and its 20 electoral votes. No Republican has ever won the presidency without carrying Ohio -- a fact both candidates are heeding. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

Music critic Milo Miles reviews Beautiful Dreamer: the Songs of Stephen Foster, featuring performances by many contemporary artists, including John Prine, Yo Yo Ma and Mavis Staples.

President Bush and Sen. John Kerry answer the most recent video tape released by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Both pledge an all-out war on terrorism, while their campaigns snipe at each other over their respective responses. Hear NPR's David Welna and NPR's Scott Horsley.

In San Diego, the Navy begins hearings on allegations that two lieutenants in the elite SEALs unit abused Iraqi prisoners. But questions about how to deal with the release of classified material are complicating the proceedings. Hear NPR's John McChesney.

Sen. John Kerry denounces an independent political ad questioning his service in Vietnam, saying the Bush campaign approves of the charges. The ad, running in several key battleground states, alleges that Kerry fabricated parts of his military record. NPR's Juan Williams reports.