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Seven American soldiers are dead after an Army helicopter is shot down in southern Iraq, according to the Pentagon. Officials say four others were wounded, and they've been rescued. Hear NPR News.

With the help of retired Navy Capt. Brayton Harris, who has written about the history of war reporting, NPR's Robert Siegel traces the ever-increasing speed with which news reports from the frontlines have been brought to the public. This week, Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld commented on the difference between today's satellite pictures of battle and the newsreels of World War II, which presented the week's news, not the moment's action. We follow war-reporting history from the Mexican War through the 1991 Gulf War.

Setting the stage for a ground assault on Baghdad, U.S. forces move within 10 miles of the Iraqi capital. Facing only sporadic Iraqi resistance, U.S. Army units approach from the southwest, while Marines advance from the southeast. Calm prevails inside the city as those who remain prepare for attack. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden and NPR's Anne Garrels.

U.S.-led forces attack Baghdad's international airport as American troops move within 10 miles of the Iraqi capital. Meanwhile, the city plunges into darkness in the first widespread power outage since the war began. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.

NPR's John Burnett, traveling with the Marine 1st Division in Iraq, reports on the troops' rations, called Meals Ready to Eat, which become the center of life in a combat zone when bullets aren't flying.

U.S. forces launch a two-pronged attack on Iraqi troops defending Baghdad. Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks says Iraq's elite Republican Guard is "under serious attack" and the "dagger is clearly pointed at the heart of the regime." Southeast of the Iraqi capital, troops capture a key bridge over the Tigris River. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.

A new poll from the Pew Center for the People and the Press finds that public support for the war remains steadfast. About 70 percent of Americans continue to back the decision to go to war, and that's the case in a Tampa suburb. NPR's David Molpus reports that the mood in military communities like Brandon, Fla., holds steady. At the Catfish Country restaurant most patrons and staff say they're "faithful on the home front."

NPR's Michele Norris talks to NPR health correspondent Richard Knox to find out more about SARS. Since the symptoms mimic influenza, many people are worried that their spring allergies and colds might be the start of SARS. Since there are only 70 reported cases of SARS in the United States -- only one of which has been serious -- it's unlikely the public here is at great risk at the moment.

For several years now, historical preservationists have been stepping up efforts to transfer millions of hours of precious, perishable sound recordings to a single, stable format. At the Library of Congress, technicians are working feverishly to convert their huge collection of tapes, CDs, LPs, eight-track tapes and other audio formats to a playback format that will stand the test of time. NPR's Rick Karr reports on an effort some observers call foolish.

Alan Cheuse reviews Property by Valerie Martin. The book takes place on a sugar cane plantation in Louisiana.