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Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani says he will accept a caucus-elected government in July if the United Nations guarantees direct elections will be held in Iraq by 2005. Sistani, Iraq's most prominent Shiite cleric, had previously insisted that elections take place by June 30, the date targeted by the United States for a transfer of power to an Iraqi government. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

Howard Dean says he is no longer actively pursuing the presidency, but vows to remain a force in the nomination process. Although he failed to win any primaries or caucuses, Dean is credited with helping to shape the Democratic race to take on George W. Bush. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean announces he will end his presidential campaign, a day after placing a distant third in Wisconsin's primary. Dean says he will continue to use his grassroots organization to transform the Democratic Party and defeat President Bush. Hear NPR News.

In the latest sign of warming relations between the United States and Vietnam, the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and the Vietnamese government agree to begin what may become the first nationwide survey of the bombs, mines and other munitions left over from the war. Ordnance from the conflict has killed an estimated 38,000 Vietnamese since 1975. NPR's Michael Sullivan reports.

Although mental health care for returning soldiers has vastly improved in the past 30 years, many within the government's medical community say they are barely able to treat veterans from previous conflicts. Funding for Veterans Affairs' mental health services has been slashed since the mid-1990s, and more cuts are looming. NPR's Daniel Zwerdling reports.

Behind fences, under armed guard, the United States stores hundreds of tons of nuclear material. It's enough to make tens of thousands of bombs that could kill hundreds of thousands of people. The government says the sites are well protected. But critics say that's a lie. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports from Los Alamos, one of the nation's highest security sites.

North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann profiles two friends in northern New York who drive long distances to receive methadone treatment. Because methadone clinics are rare, especially in rural areas, many recovering heroin addicts are forced to commute hours each day just to get their medicine.

Sen. John Kerry's campaign is flush with fresh endorsements and an army of volunteers. One of them is his youngest daughter, Vanessa. For our Campaign Diaries series, she talks about some quirkier moments with her dad.

In response to the crisis in Haiti, President George Bush held an unusual consultation session Wednesday night with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. It was the Caucus's first visit to the White House since the president's earliest days in office. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

The Bush administration proposes slashing $63 million in federal subsidies that help maintain air service to rural communities. The subsidy was due to expire 15 years ago, but powerful supporters in Congress have kept it alive. NPR's Howard Berkes reports.