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With major fighting in Fallujah over, attention now turns to the civilian population. Saa'id Hakki, chairman of the Iraqi Red Crescent, talks about the current humanitarian situation in and around the war-torn city. Hear Hakki and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

By naming some of his closest advisers to cabinet positions for his second term, President Bush appears to be tightening executive control over the government. Paul Light of the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University talks about the recent Cabinet changes. Hear Light and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Lily Tuck's novel of 19th century Paraguay wins the National Book Award for fiction. Tuck, awarded the prize for her novel The News From Paraguay, was one of five New York women authors nominated for the fiction award. Kevin Boyle won the nonfiction prize for Arc of Justice and Jean Valentine's Door in the Mountain won in the poetry category. Hear NPR's Lynn Neary.

U.S. first lady Jill Biden spent Mother's Day in Slovakia, meeting Ukrainian mothers who have been displaced by Russia's war and assuring them that the "hearts of the American people" are behind them.

The fourth installment of our series on the state of music education in America's schools focuses on youth orchestras. NPR's Korva Coleman speaks with renowned National Symphony Orchestra music director Leonard Slatkin about the University of Maryland's National Orchestra Institute.

President Bush selects Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns to succeed Ann Veneman as secretary of agriculture. Johanns is a popular Republican with lifelong ties to agriculture. Also, John Danforth, U.S. ambassador for the United Nations, resigns. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

Two of the nation's oldest and best-known retailers -- Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart -- agree to merge in a deal worth an estimated $11 billion. The proposed merger would create a new entity called Sears Holdings, but will be mainly controlled by Kmart executives. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

NPR's Tony Cox talks with jazz pianist Joe Sample about his first-ever solo album. Sample, best know for his ensemble work with the Jazz Crusaders, steps out with a new CD, Soul Shadows.

Kate Walbert, author of the book Our Kind, discusses the kind of women she grew-up with and how their lives inspired her. The story is one of five finalists for the National Book Award. Hear Walbert and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Twenty years ago, tons of toxic gas escaped from a Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, India. It was one of the worst industrial accidents in history, with a death toll of more than 15,000. Many survivors say they have yet to receive compensation. Hear Miranda Kennedy.