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NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Elizabeth Tsurkov of the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Foreign Policy about Russia's new top commander in Ukraine, Gen. Dvornikov, who is notoriously ruthless.

Bird lovers say they're friendly and intelligent -- but a Connecticut power utility calls them a nuisance, and it's rounding them up to kill them. Tandaleya Wilder of member station WSHU reports on the skirmish over the wild monk parakeet.

The president defends his domestic surveillance program as a vital and necessary tool to fight terrorism. But Sen. Dick Durbin Dick Durbin (D-IL) echoed many in Congress, when he praised hearings looking into the administration's controversial policy.

The U.S. military is probing the alleged killings of unarmed Iraqi civilians by Marines in Haditha, Iraq. In an apparent response to the accusations, the top U.S. general in Iraq is ordering American commanders to conduct core-values training on moral and ethical standards on the battlefield.

The House votes in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Thursday's early morning vote is a victory for the Bush administration. House Republicans had trouble keeping rank-and-file members from defecting as many Democrats opposed the accord.

Scientists have developed vaccines that protect against the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses. They hope to test the vaccines -- successful in experiments with monkeys -- on humans in two to three years. The viruses are at the top of experts' list of bioterrorism threats.

The Senate returns to work after a week off. It has a lot on its plate, with judicial nominations and the choice of John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador topping the to-do list. Observers are also watching to see whether the body will start getting its business done, or continue squabbling.

The price of a barrel of oil briefly topped $67 Friday, setting an all-time record. Oil prices have been rising in the past two months due to strong demand, refining capacity shortages and concerns about stability in Saudi Arabia. High energy prices contributed to a jump in the U.S. trade deficit in June.

About 1,000 people have been evacuated from a town in Southern California after a landslide Wednesday. Multimillion-dollar houses in Laguna Beach were destroyed as residents escaped. Meanwhile, construction continues on new and glamorous homes in the area. Member station KPCC's Rob Schmitz reports.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has prepared an ambitious agenda for the G8 summit in Scotland. The two top items are his calls for increasing the amount of aid to poor African countries and for limiting the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.