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Two memos prepared by Bush administration lawyers and high-ranking officials suggest the president cannot be held to federal and international rules prohibiting torture. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft refused to turn over the documents or say whether President Bush has authorized force or other techniques in interrogation. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

Her latest book, Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, is just out in paperback. It's about a religious text that is little known -- the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945. She will explain why it was suppressed by the church and kept out of the canon. Pagels has been called one of the world's most important writers and thinkers on religion and history. She won the National Book Award for her book, The Gnostic Gospels. Pagels is a professor at Princeton University. (Original airdate: June 4, 2003)

There are close to half a dozen investigations into abuse of detainees by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and in each of these probes, the military is investigating itself. Some experts say that's appropriate, because only the military has the expertise to investigate violations of its procedures. But other experts say there should be an independent, bipartisan commission to conduct an overarching investigation -- one that reaches to the highest levels of government. NPR's Jackie Northam reports.

Radio producer and commentator Paul Ingles offers an appreciation of rhythm & blues legend Ray Charles, who died this past Thursday. For Ingles, there's one song that towers above all others.

Long-deferred maintenance, a changing climate and the construction of homes, businesses and highways below previously remote dams are all contributing to the soaring numbers.

We begin our annual summer reading series with Francis Slakey, a Georgetown University professor and an accomplished mountain climber. Before an expedition, Slakey packs several paperbacks for when bad weather slows down his climbing team. He discusses two of these books, An Instance of the Finger Post by Iain Pears, and In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick.

At least 12 people, including five foreign contractors, are killed in a car bombing in Baghdad. Over the past three days, a series of attacks have killed numerous Iraqis, including a senior civil servant and a top official in the foreign ministry. The attacks illustrate the security concerns Iraq's new government faces as it prepares to assume sovereignty June 30. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt.

An expert panel has assembled a presidential report detailing how to send a human mission to Mars. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports that the multi-billion dollar initiative would require draining resources from other scientific research projects.

A federal judge rules that a sex-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart can become a class-action suit, encompassing 1.6 million current and former female employees. Wal-Mart said it would appeal the decision. The class-action status makes the suit the largest discrimination case ever brought against a private employer in the United States. NPR's Elaine Korry reports.

The Environmental Protection Agency's annual inventory of toxic air emissions acknowledges that the numbers have gone up. But a study by an environmental group says the increases are even steeper than the EPA estimates. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.