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There is more bad news for the U.S. economy Thursday. The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week soared to the highest level in more than two-and-a-half years, reinforcing fears that the U.S. economy is in trouble.

Friday's move by the Federal Reserve and JPMorgan Chase to bail out Bear Stearns was designed to boost investor confidence in the investment banking giant. The $400-billion Bear Stearns was considered "too big to fail."

You may know the work of Sooni Taraporevala from the big screen — she wrote the screenplays for Salaam Bombay and Mississippi Masala, each of which won awards. But when she's not writing, Taraporevala enjoys taking photographs. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden.

Twenty-five Muslims are suing the Justice Department and immigration officials, accusing them of stalling their citizenship applications with unreasonably prolonged background checks. The lawsuit says the plaintiffs have been waiting two to five years for their applications to be processed.

Protesters in Serbia's capital, Belgrade, broke into the U.S. Embassy on Thursday and set some rooms on fire. The rioters were part of larger protests among Serbian nationalists opposed to the independence of Kosovo. A charred body was later found inside.

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President Bush on Friday attached a dollar figure to the economic stimulus package he's been talking about this week. He says he'd like to see $150 billion in tax rebates and other measures to keep the economy from slowing any further. But questions remain about who would get the rebates — and who would not.

The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether states may require government-issued photo identification cards as proof of identity for voters at the polls. At issue is a strict Indiana law, but many other states have similar laws.

A study of hotel maids showed that they did not think they got much exercise — even with all the heavy lifting they do. But when they were told that their jobs qualified as workouts, the pounds started dropping.

The U.S. dollar has hit an all-time low against the euro and the British pound, after sliding for two years. As a result, some analysts predict the dollar could lose its status as the world's leading currency.