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Leo Allen, a New York comic, challenged himself to read 100 books in a year's time. He's polished off 51 so far, and he seems to be gaining momentum. From science fiction to self-help, Allen offers a summer reading list that spans nearly a century of literature.

One observer of the security situation in Iraq says that the U.S. response to Iraq's growing violence is failing to quell the trouble.

The House of Representatives passes a measure to address lobbying scandals that have tarnished the reputation of Congress. Opponents criticize the bill as too weak. But the majority of Republicans say it is a first step toward meaningful reform.

The Miami defendants in the alleged terrorist plot are charged with four counts of conspiracy. Conspiracy is one of the most commonly filed charges in terrorism cases, but it makes civil libertarians uneasy.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) announces that he will seek treatment at a rehabilitation center for addiction to prescription drugs. Kennedy, who ran his car into a barrier near the Capitol early Thursday morning, admits that he took the popular sleeping drug Ambien. No one was injured in the incident.

On Monday, eight months after Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans may give some residents of devastated Ninth Ward the go-ahead to return to their homes. The long-awaited decision will depend on the results of water-purity tests. Also Monday, displaced residents can begin casting ballots at satellite polling stations around Louisiana in the run-off mayor election.

Despite the box office success of Pirates of the Caribbean, and last year's Chronicles of Narnia, Walt Disney Studios is cutting back on its production schedule, and staffing. The company is also planning to return much of its focus to family friendly films.

Iraq's Prime Minister has called for an independent Iraqi investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl and the murder her family, reportedly at the hands of U.S. troops in the town of Mahmoudiya. The call for the investigation comes as it was revealed that the girl is a minor -- 14 or 15 years old.

One year later, families on the Gulf Coast are still searching for loved ones. For Dorothy Graps, the news is sweet -- after months of doubt, she was reunited with a son still alive. For others, the inability to find relatives, leaves them searching for answers.

Andrea Lee's latest novel, Lost Hearts in Italy, builds on the classic love triangle. Eighteen years after the affair began, Mira, Nick and Zenin the billionaire are still trying to put their lives back together. Lee tells Liane Hansen about the book.