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Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has offered what Republicans see as a compromise regarding filibusters of judicial nominations. Frist said he would allow for 100 hours of debate for each nominee, to be followed by a yes-or-no vote. Democrats responded coolly to the idea.

Social Security trustees say the nation's retirement program will exhaust its assets in 2041, a year earlier than previously estimated. They also moved up by a year the point when Social Security outlays will begin to exceed revenues from the payroll tax.

The Energy Bill passed by the House Thursday includes a controversial provision that would exempt an increasingly popular drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Clean Drinking Water Act. Opponents of the exemption say the technique has been known to contaminate drinking water.

Insurgent violence in Iraq has escalated again, with more than 100 deaths last week -- most recently, a pair of bombings in Iraq that killed at least 20 people. Also, Iraqi officials reportedly move closer to forming a government. The BBC's Baghdad bureau chief Carolina Hawley details the latest attacks and political developments.

After two straight presidential elections marked by disputes over the voting process, a bipartisan commission examining the issue hears testimony about continuing voter suspicion and limited funds. Former President Jimmy Carter and Secretary of State James Baker III head the panel.

Ads accusing Sen. John Kerry of lying about his Vietnam War record -- an accusation that is unproved -- appear to be eroding Kerry's standing in polls of independent voters and veterans. Veterans supporting Kerry's version of events came forward over the weekend. Hear NPR's Juan Williams.

Fighting between U.S. forces and gunmen loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr continues despite a cease-fire deal between the radical cleric and an Iraqi delegation. The Iraqi interim government is demanding more concessions from Sadr than those originally negotiated. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

Recent articles in The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine say U.S. military doctors were complicit in the abuse and torture of Iraqis detained at Abu Ghraib prison. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Dr. William Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

Democrats and intelligence officials criticize Sen. Pat Roberts' proposal to radically reorganize U.S. intelligence efforts, a plan that would break up the CIA and move intelligence groups out of the Pentagon. Roberts, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced his plan Sunday. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports.

In a swing through Wisconsin and Minnesota that included a stop at a pre-season football camp, President Bush touts his commitment to traditional family values and his record in the war on terror. It's part of a campaign strategy to build Bush's image as a national leader, military commander and regular guy. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.