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Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), head of the Foreign Relations Committee, holds hearings this week on the Bush administration's plan to transfer political power to Iraqis by a June 30 deadline. Some expert witnesses doubt the administration's ability to pull off a smooth and secure transfer of power. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

In Shakespeare's Songbook, a book and CD collection, author and musician Ross Duffin presents a collection of 160 songs from the comedies and tragedies of the great playwright.

Marine commanders say time is running out for insurgents in Fallujah to comply with the terms of a cease-fire agreement signed earlier this week. Military officials say insurgents have not turned in significant numbers of heavy weapons, in violation of the accord. Marine commanders say their offensive will resume unless real progress is made. KPBS reporter Eric Niiler reports.

U.S. and allied forces clash with supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The worst violence was near the southern city of Najaf, where 20 Iraqis were killed when al-Sadr's supporters opened fire on a Spanish garrison near the city. There was a similar demonstration in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad. The violence flared after U.S. forces detained an associate of Sadr. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Americans woke up today to something that's been hidden from view during the war in Iraq -- flag-draped caskets of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. A policy dating back to the first Bush administration bans media coverage of caskets arriving at military bases. The photographs were released to First Amendment activist Russ Kick, who had filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get the images. NPR's Melissa Block examines the "no photo" policy, and what it means for a country at war to witness the return of their dead.

At least 12 U.S. Marines are dead as fighting rages in the city of Ramadi, near Fallujah. Dozens of insurgents reportedly attacked a Marine position near a government building, leaving more than 20 wounded. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt and NPR's Michele Norris.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD from pianist Bill Charlap Somewhere: Songs of Leonard Bernstein.

He made the pop charts over and over again during the 1970s and early '80s with his love ballads like Mandy, Looks Like We Made It, I Write the Songs and Copacabana (At the Copa). Before becoming a singer, he was Bette Midler's accompanist and arranger. He has a new CD Barry Manilow: 2 Nights Live and a DVD Ultimate Manilow (Rebroadcast from March 21, 2002).

Nearly 90 U.S. soldiers and Marines have died in the last 16 days of violence in Iraq. U.S. military commanders call for stepped-up efforts to end standoffs between U.S. forces and insurgents in Fallujah and Najaf. Meanwhile, key issues surrounding who will govern Iraq after the June 30 transfer of power remain unresolved. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and NPR's Anne Garrels.

Though much of the attention in Iraq is focused on violence against Americans and the Iraqis who support them, the country is also trying to cope with a wave of sectarian attacks. Over the past month, a series of attacks against Shiite and Sunni Muslims have caused some to fear a civil war is brewing. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.