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The 1862 Homestead Act provided 160-acre parcels of land to settlers willing to populate the Western United States. With many original homestead towns dying, two senators have proposed new homestead legislation to revive the Great Plains. NPR's David Welna reports from the Capitol.

On the whole, Kansas has never really been thought of as a driving challenge. A glance at a state road map reveals a grid-like layout with relatively few twists and turns. Doctoral student Brandon Vogt knew that from personal experience. He frequently drove the width of the state, making the trip from Boulder, Colo., to Colombia, Mo. And he began to wonder just how flat Kansas really was. Vogt's research now confirms his suspicions: Kansas really is flatter than a pancake. Robert Siegel talks with Vogt about his findings, which are published in the Annals of Improbable Research.

Two U.S. soldiers are killed when their convoy comes under attack in northern Iraq. Recent attacks on American soldiers have prompted the U.S. Army to adopt an informal system of reward and punishment. Soldiers hand out food and water in neighborhoods free of attacks, while they set up roadblocks and conduct searches in areas where violence persists. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

All Things Considered presents Girls and the Juvenile Justice System, a new five-part series focusing on the harsh and difficult realities young girls face as they battle the complex justice system in the United States. In Part I, NPR's Debbie Elliott reports on a Florida detention center that treats violent girls with serious mental health issues.

Michele Norris talks with Valerie Lewis of Hicklebee's Bookstore about what makes for a good children's book. We've chosen three books that caught our attention this summer. For kids age 4 and under, we suggest Snuggle Puppy: A Love Song, by Sandra Boynton (Workman Publishing). For kids age 4 through 9, there is Toni and Slade Morrison's book, Who's Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper? (Scribner. And for young adults there is Georgia Byng's Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism (Harper Collins). Valerie Lewis is the author of Valerie & Walter's Best Books for Children: A Lively, Opinionated Guide (Avon Books). She also runs Hicklebee's Bookstore in San Jose, Calif.

Three soldiers from the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division were killed today in a grenade attack while guarding a children's hospital near Baghdad. At least one Iraqi bystander was injured. Eight U.S. soldiers have died since U.S. forces announced the deaths of Saddam Hussein's sons. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

Thomas Dorsey combined sacred and secular styles to create a revolution in music. His story is the latest in "Honky Tonks, Hymns and the Blues," a special 11-part weekly series on the creation of American musical traditions.

U.S. forces in Tikrit capture three Saddam loyalists, including a bodyguard of the deposed Iraqi leader. And in their continuing search for weapons of mass destruction, U.S. troops find anti-tank mines, mortar rounds and hundreds of pounds of gunpowder buried in Tikrit. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson and Joseph Cirincione of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

With an unforgettable voice, good looks and the spirituality of gospel music roots, Sam Cooke soared to the top of the pop charts. On Morning Edition, NPR's Bob Edwards reports on how Cooke bridged the gap between rock and soul to become a music legend. Hear samples of newly reissued Cooke songs and the story of Cooke's triumphant return to New York's famed Copacabana nightclub.

Student Gita Jackson, 13, talks about the type of music she enjoys as part of the ongoing "What Are You Listening To?" series. She says that she and her musical tastes disprove the stereotype of "the Britney Spears-loving, Forever 21-wearing, valley girl-speaking, smiley prepubescent white girl."