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Some 265 girls and boys competed this week for the 77th Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. We listened in on some of the participants. The decisive word was "autochthonous." A 14-year-old David Tidmarsh, of South Bend, Ind. -- who tied for 16th in last year's event -- triumphed over a 13-year-old from Colorado who was eliminated by the word "schwarmerei." Hear NPR's Robert Siegel.

U.N. troops open fire on mobs of protesters in Congo's capital, Kinshasa, killing at least two people. The conflict stems from anger over the rebel capture of Bukavu, an eastern border city. Crowds took to the streets, accusing the United Nations of allowing the takeover. Rioters also burned buildings and attacked U.N. and other aid compounds across the country. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports.

As George Tenet prepares to leave his post as CIA director, critics call for reforms that would give the position greater direct oversight over all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the FBI. FBI Director Robert Mueller is also resisting a reform initiative that would create a domestic spying agency. Hear NPR's Larry Abramson.

In the fjords near the town of Haines, Alaska, one sure sign that summer has arrived is the beginning of king salmon fishing season. Angler Doug Fine has this week's audio postcard.

NPR's Scott Simon remembers Ray Charles, who died this week, with a musical selection.

CIA Director George Tenet resigns, effective in July. The move, announced by President Bush on the White House's South Lawn, comes after Tenet faced harsh criticism over intelligence failures related to Iraq and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The president praised Tenet's leadership and work in seven years at the CIA. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports.

NATO leaders meeting in Turkey agree to use NATO forces to train the military, security and police forces of the new Iraqi interim government. NATO's involvement in Iraq will remain limited, and no NATO troops are scheduled to be deployed there. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne and NPR's Don Gonyea.

Many Kurds distrust the Arab-dominated interim government now in charge of Iraq and feel betrayed by a lack of guarantees over the future of their autonomy. Although most Kurds would prefer independence, Kurdish leaders are seeking a compromise that would allow Kurdistan to be part of an Iraqi federation. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

The humanitarian crisis continues amid violence in the western Darfur region of Sudan. Gun battles and ethnic cleansing have displaced villagers in the area, and many rapes have reportedly been committed by Arab militiamen on the fringes of refugee camps set up for black Africans. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and Washington Post correspondent Emily Wax.

On the tiny island of Jandayan in the Philippines, "lantern-divers" swim along the reefs at midnight to hunt for one of the world's most exotic animals, seahorses, to sell to aquarium-fish dealers. It's part of an effort to preserve the traditional island lifestyle while keeping seahorses from dying out. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports in the second part of a National Geographic Radio Expeditions series.