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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently introduced a face mask advisory to try and slow down the spread of the virus ahead of the holidays.

Officials in North Carolina say nine railroad cars once owned by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and had been slated to be refurbished for passenger train service caught fire.

A U.S. military official tells the Reuters news service that some fighters detained after recent clashes in Iraq may be tied to al Qaeda. But clear evidence of involvement by the terrorist cell has yet to emerge. At least 40 U.S. soldiers have died in sporadic attacks since May 1. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Mike Leavitt, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, has received substantial tax breaks thanks to a charitable foundation he and other family members created in 2000. But in its first years of operation, the foundation did little charitable giving. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports that it's all within the law -- but some question the law's fairness.

Jay Garner, the retired general appointed by the Bush administration to oversee Iraq's reconstruction, arrives in Baghdad. Garner says his first priority is to restore basic services and rebuild damaged infrastructure. Garner's visit comes amid reports that two senior members of the Saddam Hussein regime are in U.S. custody. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

Two major dissident unions split from the AFL-CIO, citing declining membership. The walkout by the Service Employees International Union and the Teamsters deprives the AFL-CIO of a quarter of its membership.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Jamal Qureshi with the Market Intelligence Service for PFC Energy about an oil shortage in Iraq, the country with the world's second-largest reserves. Poor security in Iraq has wreaked havoc on Iraq's oil industry. Managing pipelines in Iraq not only involves keeping an eye on looters, but also involves navigating the heavy damage incurred from months of war.

After nearly going extinct, the grizzly population in the Yellowstone region is 600 strong. The Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to remove them from the list of threatened species. Many conservation groups say it is too soon to de-list the bears, whose population is still fragile.

A growing number of people are making cheap long-distance calls using the Internet. Others are talking for free, using their computers and services like Skype. Renee Montagne used Skype to discuss the options with New York Times Technology writer David Pogue.

North Carolina and Virginia are getting $58 million from the federal government to help build out anticipated high-speed passenger rail service between the states’ capitals.