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Five Shiite Muslim members of the U.S.-appointed governing council in Iraq refused to sign the interim constitution Friday, saying at least two of its provisions did not meet their approval. Chief U.S. administrator Paul Bremer continued talks with the council, hoping to salvage the constitution. Hear NPR's Melissa Bock and NPR's Ivan Watson.

Did the Bush administration approve the systematic torture of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan? Many civil rights groups are asking that question this week after the release of two memos prepared by Bush administration lawyers suggesting the president is not obliged to adhere to federal and international standards on the use of torture. NPR's Tavis Smiley talks to Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz and Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, about whether torture is ever justified.

The announcement kicks the can down the road on what the high court will do for another few days. Mifepristone is used in about half of all abortions nationwide.

One of the top priorities before Congress adjourns for the holidays is a bill that would prevent more than 20 million middle-class Americans from having to pay the alternative minimum tax in 2008. The Senate recently approved a repair to the rule, but neglected to pay for it with spending cuts.

A credit ratings agency has removed Illinois from a credit watch since legislators approved a budget and ended a more than two-year impasse.S&P Global…

The House voted Tuesday to block President Trump from using a national emergency to build a border wall. Even if the GOP-controlled Senate approves the resolution, Trump has vowed to veto it.

Congress has approved more than $46 billion in rental assistance, though some eligible renters are finding that accessing the funding isn't always easy.

The main issue that's been holding up the Kassebaum-Kennedy health insurance bill is medical savings accounts, which allow people to set up tax-free savings accounts for medical care. Republicans want MSAs in the bill and have settled on a plan...they are now in negotiations with the White House for approval. NPR's Joanne Silberner looks at why MSAs are such a contentious issue, whether they'll sink the health system or save it by making consumers more cost-conscious.

on whether to raise the minimum wage from four-25 to five dollars and 15 cents an hour. The House approved a similar measure which includes tax breaks for small businesses. But the legislation could die in the Senate because Republican amendments would effectively exclude millions of workers from receiving the higher minimum wage.

NPR's David Welna reports how the Mexican ruling party shut down an official investigation of one of the country's most corrupt agencies--the commission which buys and distributes subsidized food. The ruling party apparently got nervous when the probe uncovered evidence that President Ernesto Zedillo approved a legally questionable payment when he served in the cabinet several years ago. Critics say the handling of the investigation proves that the ruling P-R-I party is not serious about fighting Mexico's rampant corruption.