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As the nation marks the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., this week, fresh attention is paid to the current state of the civil rights movement, and its leaders. Hear Andrew Hacker, author of the 1992 book Two Nations; Claybourne Carson, director of the Martin Luther King Papers Project at Stanford University; and NPR's Jennifer Ludden.

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage says U.S. forces are needed -- and wanted by most Iraqis -- as the nation seeks to form a lasting government. But he tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that a long-term U.S. presence would undermine efforts to create a stable Iraq.

President Bush has created a cabinet-level committee to advise him on ocean policy. Environmentalists who criticized the administration's record have long sought more attention to the oceans, which in U.S. territorial waters and elsewhere suffer from pollution and over-fishing. Hear NPR's Alex Chadwick and Dr. Ellen Pikitch of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science.

Commentator Andrei Codrescu used to be philosophically opposed to golf, but now he is thinking of taking it up. The Kabul Golf Club formally reopens next year, and then there's the thrill of the Prison View golf course, near Louisiana State Penitentiary.

Ireland's economic boom has made the once-neglected town of Kinvara a target for developers. And even as it grows again, Kinvara has returned to an ancient tradition: music, rendered by fiddles, banjos and songs. Frank Browning reports for the documentary series "Worlds of Difference."

George H.W. Bush says his decision to seek congressional backing for the 1991 Persian Gulf War removed the threat of impeachment. NPR's Cokie Roberts interviews Bush in the last of a series of conversations with three former presidents about the Constitution.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with "John," a soldier with the U.S. National Guard in Iraq, who keeps track of the birds and other creatures he has seen while on duty, and posts his observations on an internet "blog."

Tim Edgar of the American Civil Liberties Union says the intelligence reform bill headed to the president envisions new restrictions on privacy and individual freedom. Edgar tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that one of the bill's provisions creates a national standard for drivers' licenses -- a potential step toward a national ID card.

Richard Marinick used a 10-year prison sentence to develop his writing skills. His novel Boyos portrays life among mobsters in the working class neighborhoods of South Boston. Marinick tells NPR's Scott Simon about the book.

The Israeli government formally notifies Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip they have 48 hours to leave their homes or be forcibly removed. Thousands of soldiers delivered eviction orders, but most settlers have refused to leave.