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Supreme courts in many states are debating whether to define marriage as a union between opposite genders. But in recent rulings, judges are treating gay and lesbian couples as if they are married -- especially when it comes to dividing assets and assigning child custody when couples split up. NPR's Tovia Smith reports.

Assuming an on-stage microphone had been turned off on Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry was heard describing the Bush-Cheney administration as "crooked." Republicans reacted angrily, but President Bush also has made embarrassing off-mic comments that ended up on the air.

The Baathist stronghold of Tikrit, where Saddam Hussein was born, was the scene for an attack that killed two Americans Saturday. Several bombings have struck occupation forces in Iraq this weekend. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

For decades, U.S. manufacturing firms have moved factory jobs overseas to cut payroll costs. Now, an increasing number of technology jobs are being sent overseas to countries such as India, Russia and the Philippines. Commentator -- and programmer -- Paul Ford is struck by the irony that the system built by programmers is the very mechanism that allows these jobs to move overseas. Paul Ford writes online at ftrain.com.

E. Lockhart's prequel to We Were Liars works perfectly well, too, as a standalone coming-of-age novel about grief, addiction, young love, and learning to navigate the world.

Ten coordinated explosions tear through trains and stations along a commuter line in Spain, killing at least 190 people and wounding 1,200 others at the height of Madrid's morning rush hour. Spain's interior minister says a van has been found near Madrid that contained seven detonators and a tape in Arabic. Jerome Socolovsky reports from Madrid.

NPR's Juan Williams talks to Mary Beth Cahill, campaign manager for Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry. Cahill says Kerry plans to respond forcefully to negative ads by the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

Senior news analyst NPR's Daniel Schorr says that terrorist bombings in Madrid and the surprise outcome of the Spanish election may spur more countries in Europe to re-evaluate their relationship with the United States.

One year after the U.S.-led war in Iraq, a media-led poll of Iraqis finds many are optimistic but unclear about their future. A majority of those surveyed say they're better off than they were before the war. But many say they lack confidence in occupying forces, and only about half prefer democracy over a strong leader or Islamic state. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and Gary Langer, director of polling for ABC News.

NPR's David Schaper reports on Senate primaries in Illinois, in which seven millionaires are among the candidates seeking to replace retiring Republican Peter Fitzgerald. Many observers see the seat as one that Democrats are likely to pick up in November, but first there are the primaries to deal with. The leading Democratic contender is state Sen. Barack Obama, who if he wins would become the first black male Democrat to win a seat in the Senate.