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One of the soldiers who has died in Iraq since the "official combat" ended was Marine Lance Cpl. Gregory MacDonald. Fred Thys of member station WBUR in Boston visited with MacDonald's father.

A day after Saddam Hussein's two sons are killed in a gun battle with U.S. forces, Iraqis in Baghdad celebrate their deaths. U.S. officials predict the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein will reduce attacks against American troops and raise morale. Meanwhile, a new tape allegedly made by Saddam urges Iraqis to continue fighting American troops. Hear NPR's Guy Raz and defense expert Anthony Cordesman.

U.S. forces in Tikrit capture three Saddam loyalists, including a bodyguard of the deposed Iraqi leader. And in their continuing search for weapons of mass destruction, U.S. troops find anti-tank mines, mortar rounds and hundreds of pounds of gunpowder buried in Tikrit. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson and Joseph Cirincione of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

American military forces stage a major raid on a downtown Baghdad villa, killing several Iraqis. U.S. officials make no immediate comment on the target of the raid, but neighbors suspect the troops were looking for Saddam Hussein. The raid caps the deadliest weekend yet for U.S. troops since major hostilities ended. NPR's Eric Westervelt talks to NPR's Jacki Lyden.

On the whole, Kansas has never really been thought of as a driving challenge. A glance at a state road map reveals a grid-like layout with relatively few twists and turns. Doctoral student Brandon Vogt knew that from personal experience. He frequently drove the width of the state, making the trip from Boulder, Colo., to Colombia, Mo. And he began to wonder just how flat Kansas really was. Vogt's research now confirms his suspicions: Kansas really is flatter than a pancake. Robert Siegel talks with Vogt about his findings, which are published in the Annals of Improbable Research.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews New Beginnings (MaxJazz) the new CD by trumpeter Terell Stafford.

Michele Norris talks with Valerie Lewis of Hicklebee's Bookstore about what makes for a good children's book. We've chosen three books that caught our attention this summer. For kids age 4 and under, we suggest Snuggle Puppy: A Love Song, by Sandra Boynton (Workman Publishing). For kids age 4 through 9, there is Toni and Slade Morrison's book, Who's Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper? (Scribner. And for young adults there is Georgia Byng's Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism (Harper Collins). Valerie Lewis is the author of Valerie & Walter's Best Books for Children: A Lively, Opinionated Guide (Avon Books). She also runs Hicklebee's Bookstore in San Jose, Calif.

All Things Considered presents Girls and the Juvenile Justice System, a new five-part series focusing on the harsh and difficult realities young girls face as they battle the complex justice system in the United States. In Part I, NPR's Debbie Elliott reports on a Florida detention center that treats violent girls with serious mental health issues.

Two U.S. soldiers are killed when their convoy comes under attack in northern Iraq. Recent attacks on American soldiers have prompted the U.S. Army to adopt an informal system of reward and punishment. Soldiers hand out food and water in neighborhoods free of attacks, while they set up roadblocks and conduct searches in areas where violence persists. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

An American soldier dies in Baghdad after an attacker drops a grenade from an overpass onto a U.S. Humvee as it drives by. Meanwhile, U.S. forces are working to rebuild the health care system in Fallujah, a hotbed of Iraqi resistance. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.