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NATO troops and Afghan government forces are battling Taliban militants on the outskirts of the southern city of Kandahar. Taliban fighters seized villages in the Arghandab valley, just north of Kandahar earlier this week.

As floods soak the Midwest states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's trying to honor reforms put in place after Hurricane Katrina. These include coordinating more closely with state and local officials for a quicker response.

In Iowa, devastating floodwaters are beginning to inch their way down the southern part of the state. The next city that's in jeopardy of being swamped is the railroad hub of Burlington. Residents are digging in to try to save their town.

In California, two elderly women were one of the first same-sex couples to marry in the state. Their marriage begins a busy week for county registrars around the Golden State. The state's Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage took effect Monday.

In Zimbabwe, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew Sunday from the upcoming runoff election. Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, said he's stepping down because he can no longer watch his supporters being killed for the sake of power.

Industry analysts say if not for speculators, oil prices would be half of what they are today. Congress is looking into what roles speculators may have played in rising gas prices. The House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation heard from regulators, market chiefs and analysts Monday — but speculators were missing from the hearing.

The FBI says it has arrested more than 400 people in the last three months on charges related to mortgage fraud. Agents have arrested real estate agents and others. On Thursday, the FBI arrested two Bear Stearns investment fund managers. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston and Michelle Norris discuss the arrests.

Numerous levees have already failed to hold back floodwaters in parts of the Midwest this week. The federal government says many more are likely to be topped. Engineering experts agree the nation's levee system needs a second look. Adriene Hill of Chicago Public Radio reports.

The Senate has approved and sent to the White House a bitterly contested rewrite of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. The bill overhauls disputed rules on secret government eavesdropping. It also shields phone companies from lawsuits for their role in the administration's warrantless eavesdropping program.

The group Latinas for McCain includes a mix of Republicans, Democrats and independents. For many, their choice has more to do with negative things they believe about Sen. Barack Obama, than positive things about Sen. John McCain.