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Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling pleads not guilty as he is indicted on fraud and insider trading charges. Federal prosecutors say Skilling lied about Enron's finances and intentionally deceived investors. Skilling was released after posting a $5 million bail. NPR's Wade Goodwyn reports. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and law professor John Coffee of Columbia University.

In the first of several speeches attacking President Bush's national security policies, Sen. John Kerry accused the president of failing to create an adequate multinational coalition to support efforts in Iraq. But Kerry's criticisms seemed constrained to many, a fact that analysts attribute to Kerry's effort to win swing voters by avoiding a hard-line stance. Hear NPR's David Welna.

John Lawton's Cold War spy novel, Old Flames, is set in England in l956, during Nikita Khrushchev's first visit to Great Britain. In this story, as Lawton makes clear, the spy is anything but a hero. Lawton speaks with NPR's Scott Simon.

John Grisham's new novel The King of Torts takes a savage view of lawyers who live lavishly on huge contingency fees earned by successful lawsuits against corporate defendants. Grisham speaks with NPR's Scott Simon.

Mel Gibson's film The Passion of The Christ -- which seeks to portray the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life -- has prompted awkward Vatican denials that Pope John Paul II warmly endorsed the movie after a private viewing. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports.

John le Carre's Absolute Friends is the former British spy's new thriller, set in post-Cold War Europe. The novel follows a British agent who becomes a CIA informant; it also raises questions about the limits of loyalty among such firm allies as Britain and America. Alan Cheuse has a review.

So this is how you make a low-budget musical these days! John Carney's unassuming romance seems almost a found object — sweet and unassumingly authentic. (Recommended)

Michele Norris talks with actor John Leguizamo, who stars in Cronicas. Leguizamo plays a Miami-based journalist working in rural Ecuador. Although the film is in Spanish, he switches throughout the film between English and Spanish.

Critic at large John Powers considers the films of Alfred Hitchcock as a new DVD survey of his work is coming out: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection. The new release collects 14 of his films including Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, Psycho, The Birds, and Frenzy.

A federal elections panel meets to examine the future of touch-screen voting machines, as several states reconsider the machines' reliability. Last week, concerns about accuracy prompted California's secretary of state to decertify 42,000 machines in 14 counties for the November election. John Myers of member station KQED reports.

American cyclist Lance Armstrong wins the Tour de France in Paris, setting a new record with six victories. The final margin between Armstrong and his nearest competitor, German Andreas Kloden, was 6 minutes, 19 seconds. Hear NPR's Brian Naylor and John Wilcockson of Velo News.

With just eight days left in the presidential campaign, President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry begin their last frantic week of campaigning. Addressing voters in Florida, Kerry speaks openly about his religious faith, a subject the president has long spoken about. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

As the presidential race nears an end, President Bush and Sen. John Kerry put extra focus on health care -- and the small percentage of undecided voters who say the issue could affect how they cast their ballot. Some experts believe neither candidate's plan will bring down medical costs. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

John McCain not only survived the early rounds of the presidential primary season but is on the verge of capturing the GOP nomination. Even when he was out of money and losing staff, the Arizona senator never lost faith. And with wins in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, he's in the almost surreal position of GOP frontrunner.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney emerges victorious in Michigan primary. The former Massachusetts governor wins by a margin of 9 percent over John McCain. Now three different Republican presidential hopefuls have won each of the three major contests.

The Des Moines Register endorsed Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ). Carol Hunter, editorial page editor of the influential paper, explains how the editorial board came to those decisions: "In both cases, it came down to competence and readiness to lead."

The Old Farmer's Almanac has been around since the 19th century, when its readership was mainly farmers. The newly released 2005 edition has been updated for a 21st-century audience. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with publisher John Pierce.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews two new novels set in Cuba: Dirty Blonde and Half-Cuban, the debut novel by Lisa Wixon, and Adios Hemingway by Cuban writer Leonardo Padura Fuentes. Translated by John King, Adios Hemingway is the latest in Fuentes' award-winning Inspector Mario Conde mysteries.

The vice presidential candidates disputed the current state of urban renewal in their debate last night, and the best policies for improvement. NPR's John Nielsen looks at the "empowerment" zones Vice President Dole touted, at Republican challenger Jack Kemp's belief that property ownership can be the answer for innercity residents, and at whether the Housing and Urban Development Department's budget should be cut or increased.

The Census Bureau today reported that Americans' income edged up last year for the first time in six years and fewer families are living in poverty. The report, hailed by President Clinton, showed median household income of $34,076 in 1995, up 2.7 percent from 1994. The agency said this is the first real increase in six years after adjusting for inflation. NPR's John Nielsen has the details.