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Across the United States, National Guard reservists are preparing to go overseas, and in many cases leaving police and fire crews critically understaffed. NPR’s Howard Berkes visits the small rural town of Beaver, Utah as its National Guard unit prepares to leave -- possibly to serve in the Mideast -- and finds conflicting emotions among the soldiers, town residents and the families they leave behind. See photos of Beaver and its residents.

U.S. military planners foresee a much shorter and more intense air assault on Iraq than the six-week-long bombardment in 1991. And they'll strive for precision. This time, the Pentagon expects U.S. ground forces to enter Iraq after just a few days of bombing. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

In Baghdad, residents hoard basic supplies and foreign diplomats leave the country in preparation for a possible U.S.-military attack against Iraq. In Qatar, residents have mixed feelings about U.S. troops in the country. Hear reporter Paul Eedle and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

As the U.S., Britain and Spain abandon efforts to win U.N. approval for a new resolution on Iraq, President Bush prepares to address the nation at 8 p.m. ET. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says Bush will issue an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, that the Iraqi leader leave the country or face war. Meanwhile, all U.S. non-essential personnel are ordered to leave Israel, Syria and Kuwait. Hear NPR News.

The limited U.S. strikes on Iraqi targets in and around Baghdad draw mixed reaction from many parts of the Muslim world. Iran calls the attack "unjustifiable and illegitimate," and Malaysia says the strike represents "a black mark in history." But Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak criticizes Iraq's role in the conflict. Hear NPR's Michael Sullivan.

We sample the mailbag and read from your letters and e-mails... including comments on Chef Bobo's recipes for lunch at The Calhoun School.

Across the nation, educators are balancing mandates to improve test scores and a chronic lack of resources with the need for children to have enough time to simply be children. To wrap up the four-part series on homework, Morning Edition host Bob Edwards talks with Shirley Igo, national president of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), about the PTA's parent guide to homework.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with NPR's John Burnett, who's with U.S. troops from the 1st Marine Division in Kuwait. Burnett says the marines there have started to pack up, and convoys of vehicles are moving out in what officials have said is a scheduled dress rehearsal. He says the mood among troops is jubilant following President Bush's 48-hour ultimatum delivered to Saddam Hussein last night.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with NPR's Ivan Watson in northern Iraq about the exodus of Kurds from their homes and villages, in anticipation of an American assault on the forces of Saddam Hussein. Many Kurds are heading to the relative safety of the mountains, fearing that Saddam might respond to a U.S. assault with chemical or biological weapons attacks on Kurdish areas.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with NPR's Eric Westervelt, with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division. He says that despite sand storms, the division moved quickly into place today at an undisclosed location about 4 km from the Kuwait-Iraq border. Troops have been told that they most likely are going to combat soon.