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A new survey of a key voter group hints that Republicans may be losing some support ahead of the November elections. The study focused on rural voters -- people beyond cities and suburbs, where Republicans have found strong support in recent national elections.

Two lawsuits were filed Wednesday challenging the Bush administration's authorization of secret eavesdropping by the National Security Agency. Renee Montagne talks to Larry Diamond, one of the plaintiffs in the case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. Diamond is a specialist with Stanford's Hoover Institution who does research in the Middle East.

Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, who claimed responsibility for modern Russia's worst terrorist attacks, was killed Monday, Russia's top intelligence official said. Basayev, 41, claimed responsibility for many attacks, including the 2004 school hostage taking in Beslan that killed 331.

Felipe Calderon and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador both declare victory in Mexico's presidential election. Authorities say an official vote count will not be complete until later in the week. With more than 30 million votes counted, preliminary numbers showed the two men only 300,000 votes apart.

The trial of former Enron executives Jeffrey Skilling and Kenneth Lay enters a critical phase Thursday, when Skilling is expected to testify. Accused of conspiring to deceive investors, analysts and the public about Enron's financial condition, Skilling faces decades in prison if convicted.

Chicago passes a city ordinance that would require big retailers like Wal-Mart and Target to pay workers at least $13 an hour in wages and benefits within the next few years.Opponents are calling the measure illegal and planning to sue. Even Chicago's mayor is opposed. But for Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, the main question is whether the ordinance will bring better jobs or chase new ones away.

Philip Morris is asking the Supreme Court to invalidate a $79.5 million punitive-damage award in a case stemming from the death of one Oregon smoker. It's the ultimate test of whether the Constitution imposes significant limits on punitive damages in each and every case of misconduct.

This fire season is shaping up to be grueling. Drought has turned brush into kindling, and there are surprisingly few city workers to thin that fire-prone vegetation. As Rebecca Tolin reports, the ci

Defendant Zacarias Moussaoui repeatedly interrupts efforts to select a jury during the first day of his sentencing trial. Moussaoui has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the Sept. 11 attacks. The jurors will determine whether Moussaoui receives the death penalty.

A conflict over Social Security has extended to workers at the Social Security Administration itself. Some employees say the agency is using public funds to promote a political agenda, namely President Bush's plan to partly privatize the system. NPR's Libby Lewis reports.