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Legendary musician Ray Charles died Thursday at age 73. In honor of his great life and legacy, The Tavis Smiley Show is presenting a two-part tribute to Ray Charles. In 2002, Charles did his last NPR interview with NPR's Tavis Smiley. This is the first part of that conversation -- the second will follow on Monday.

Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite Iraqi cleric whose militia has clashed with American forces for the past several months, announces plans to create a political party. Members of Iraq's new interim government are encouraging Sadr's proposed move into the official political process. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

The declaration releases emergency funds to recovery efforts in three counties in northeastern New Mexico.

Kamal al-Jarah, a senior member of the Iraqi education ministry, is killed outside his home in Baghdad -- the second such attack in as many days. This weekend's violence echoes warnings from the U.S.-led coalition that insurgents plan more attacks in the weeks leading to the handover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 30. Hear NPR's Emily Harris.

NPR's Linda Wertheimer interviews two Republican strategists, Frank Donatelli of the American Conservative Union, and Don Devine, a former Reagan aide, about what the worsening situation in Iraq means for President Bush's re-election prospects.

New York City Police Officer Daniel Rodriguez is known to millions of people as the police officer that sang "God Bless America" at a World Trade Center memorial service after the 2001 terrorist attacks. He discusses his decision to leave the police force to return to his first love, music. Hear Rodriguez and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

A top official at Iraq's foreign ministry is killed in Baghdad during an ambush by unknown gunmen. Bassam Kubba, who had been a career diplomat, is the first member of Iraq's new interim government to lose his life amid continuing violence and security problems. Hear NPR's Linda Wertheimer and NPR's Emily Harris.

Home health care workers are among the lowest paid, shifting the burden of long-term care to aging and overstressed family members or assisted living centers, which are often understaffed themselves.

Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawai announces that nine armed militias comprising some 100,000 men will disband. Under the plan, the militiamen will be eligible for jobs in the police, army or security services, and may also qualify for civilian government jobs. The militia controlled by the radical Shiite cleric Muktadr Sadr is not part of the pact. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and NPR's Deborah Amos.

U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who was tasked with leading the formation of Iraq's new interim government, says he did not get his choice for candidates to fill some top spots. But he says comments he made Wednesday calling U.S. civilian administrator Paul Bremer "the dictator in Iraq" were in jest. Brahimi talks with NPR's Steve Inskeep.