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An American soldier dies in Baghdad after an attacker drops a grenade from an overpass onto a U.S. Humvee as it drives by. Meanwhile, U.S. forces are working to rebuild the health care system in Fallujah, a hotbed of Iraqi resistance. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

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.

The White House releases an eight-page section of a larger document outlining the basis for a now-discredited claim that Saddam Hussein's regime sought to purchase uranium from Africa in an effort to develop nuclear weapons. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and NPR's Tom Gjelten.

Poet Tim Seibles celebrates the irrepressible force of nature in his poem "Fearless," recorded this week at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival at Hillstead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut.

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.

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.

Arab television stations air a new tape, allegedly from Saddam Hussein, in which the speaker mourns the killing last week of Saddam's two eldest sons. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, senators grill Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz on the Bush administration's failure to provide clear guidance on the costs of the U.S. mission in Iraq. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

She is the author of the best-selling book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend, about the horse who became a racetrack sensation in the 1930s. Her book is the basis of the new film starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. The New York Times called the book, "a captivating story... with the detail of good history, the blistering pace of Seabiscuit himself, and the charm of grand legend." Hillenbrand has chronic fatigue syndrome and during the writing of Seabiscuit, she almost never left her home. She has been writing about thoroughbred racing for 15 years.

NPR Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg talks to Ashton Smith, one of Hollywood's most popular voice actors. Smith records promos for upcoming movies and television shows, and makes a pretty good living doing it.