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The Bush administration reports the pace of the U.S. economic recovery slowed in the second fiscal quarter, to an annual rate of 3 percent. That's down from a revised 4.5 percent growth rate in the first three months of the fiscal year. In a separate statement, the Bush administration said the federal deficit will grow to a record $445 billion. NPR's John Ydstie reports.

Just the name of the USA Patriot Act, the controversial measure enacted in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, stirs raw emotions in the debate over civil liberties vs. national security. Both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry support the law, but the presumed Democratic presidential nominee says some changes are needed to protect individual freedoms. Larry Abramson reports.

Rep. Richard Gephardt and former Gov. Howard Dean speak at the Democratic Convention, in a show of unity from two of Sen. John Kerry's former rivals. Kerry will be named the Democratic presidential nominee Wednesday. Hear NPR's David Welna.

Commentator Bobby Muller, who co-founded Vietnam Veterans of America with John Kerry, offers his views on why the Vietnam War remains such a factor in U.S. culture and politics. Muller's commentary is a counterpoint to Tuesday's remarks on the same subject by former Secretary of the Navy James Webb.

With final polls showing the race still deadlocked, President Bush spent much of the weekend in Florida. Sen. John Kerry traveled from the Midwest to Florida and prepares for a final, frantic round of swing states. Hear NPR's Don Gonyea and NPR's Scott Horsley.

The recent meeting in Thailand on endangered species receives mixed reviews as it closes. U.S. delegates proclaimed the conference a success. But critics call the treaty -- the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species -- a "shark without teeth." They say poachers are bolder and better armed than ever, and many species, like forest elephants, are on the road to extinction. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

Pope John Paul II's body lies in repose in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. Dignitaries paid their respects and tens of thousands of visitors thronged to Saint Peter's Square for a memorial mass Sunday.

John Mayer has sold millions of CDs with his sensitive, wistful songs. Music critic Tom Moon has been listening to Mayer's new album, Continuum. He says Mayer is growing as an artist, his songs are better and he is utilizing one of his strengths, in playing guitar.

She stars in the new film Wonderland. Set in 1980s Hollywood, it's about a mysterious mass murder that took place on Wonderland Avenue. Porn star John Holmes was involved somehow, but the crime was never solved. Kudrow plays Holmes' wife in the film. Kudrow is best known for her role on the popular NBC sitcom Friends, now in its 10th season. She also appeared in the films Romy and Michele's High School Reunion and Analyze This.

Tensions rise in the slum area of Baghdad known as Sadr City. A radical young Shiite cleric there, Muqtadah al-Sadr, has refused to recognize the authority of the U.S. appointed governing council and has proclaimed a rival administration. Hear NPR's John Ydstie and NPR's Guy Raz.

Baghdad looters continue to comb through official buildings and empty a museum of priceless antiquities. U.S. forces decline to adopt much of a security role, but may begin to patrol with Iraqis who are demanding order be restored. In some neighborhoods, people take the law into their own hands. Hear NPR's John Ydstie and NPR's Anne Garrels.

John Brady reviews In the Reins, a seven-song collaboration between soft-voiced Florida folk singer Sam Beam, who records under the name Iron and Wine, and the band Calexico — border rockers from Tucson, Ariz., known for their eclectic tastes.

President Bush nominates federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Roberts is a seasoned member of the Washington legal establishment, serving at one time as a clerk for then associate Justice William Rehnquist.

Earlier this year, Sen. John Kerry told Nevada residents that he opposed the plan to store high-level nuclear waste at a repository inside Yucca Mountain, 100 miles from Las Vegas. But can a new president actually stop the project -- and what would happen if he did? NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.

As violence continues in Baghdad, Iraq remains a central issue in the presidential election. In an interview with NPR's Robert Siegel, Sen. John Kerry assails the Bush administration's Iraq policies and stresses the need for more international support.

Accepting the Republican nomination for a second term, President Bush outlines proposals addressing education, health care and other domestic issues, while attacking Sen. John Kerry. But the post-Sept. 11 world and war on terrorism dominate Bush's speech. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

The Justice Department asks a federal judge to throw out the terror convictions of a group of Detroit men who Attorney General John Ashcroft had portrayed as an al Qaeda sleeper cell. The department says its own prosecutors made enough mistakes to warrant a new trial, on charges of document fraud. NPR's Libby Lewis reports.

The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Portland, Ore., announces plans to file for bankruptcy. Archbishop John Vlazny said the church's action is a response to two sexual abuse lawsuits seeking more than $160 million. The archdiocese has already paid millions to settle other abuse claims. The bankruptcy is the first by a Catholic diocese in the United States. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports.

Rep. Jim Leach (R-IO) levels sharp criticism at Bush administration policies in Iraq. Leach, a member of the House International Relations Committee, says the U.S. occupation of Iraq is creating animosity toward the United States throughout the Muslim world, and urges elections in Iraq and a U.S. troop withdrawal as soon as possible. Hear NPR's John Ydstie and Leach.

President Bush defends his decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Responding to claims by Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry that Bush's Iraq policies have been full of mistakes, Bush accused Kerry of wavering in his own positions. The two will participate in three debates this fall. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and NPR's Ron Elving.