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Media reports have highlighted a potential danger for children who carry overstuffed backpacks around, citing a rash of back injuries. One study shows a greater danger from tripping over the cumbersome carry-alls. But there's more to the story. NPR's Rachel Jones reports.

The Bush administration files a friend-of-the-court brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the University of Michigan's affirmative action program. Three white students allege the university uses a quota system that unfairly benefits minority applicants. NPR's Libby Lewis reports.

As anti-war protesters arrive in Washington, D.C., for weekend demonstrations, local police are ready with surveillance cameras. Critics say the presence of the cameras will discourage some people from participating. City officials say the cameras are important to manage resources in case violence erupts. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.

The Catholic church's National Review Board -- a lay group appointed to investigate the priest sex-abuse scandals -- meets with church leaders in New York. But Cardinal Edward Egan will not take part in the talks, arousing critics. NPR's Nancy Solomon reports.

DuPont and other multinational corporations announce the launch of the Chicago Climate Exchange. The effort is the first major attempt at establishing a market for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. NPR's David Schaper reports.

The State Department tried disseminating a positive message about the United States in Arab countries. The idea was to counter anti-American sentiment by explaining U.S. values rather than U.S. policy. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

The Senate passes a measure to temporarily block funding for the Pentagon's Total Information Awareness program. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and others want further review of the domestic information-gathering effort, fearing its impact on civil liberties. Wyden speaks with NPR's Bob Edwards.

Turkey and five Middle Eastern nations urge Iraq to do more to satisfy U.N. disarmament demands. The appeal follows a foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul. But the six participants -- Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Syria -- also voiced opposition to any new war in Iraq. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

NPR's David Molpus talks with members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary. He hears how they're preparing themselves for the possibility of war with Iraq, how spouses at home are explaining their absence to toddlers, and how one couple has made up a personal code for private e-mail messages.

South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's proposed summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il would be the latest effort at serious talks between the bitter rivals. Sandwiched between China and Japan, Koreans on both sides of the DMZ have a long history of negotiating from a position of relative weakness. Their strategies reflect that history. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.