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Thousands take to the streets of Najaf, Iraq, mourning the death of more than 100 people -- including key Shiite cleric Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Hakim -- in the bombing of one of Islam's most revered shrines -- the Imam Ali Mosque. Hear NPR's Emily Harris, NPR's Jacki Lyden and Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Qazwini of the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County, Calif.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) confirms that he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Kerry has campaigned and raised money for more than a year. The official announcement comes as he trails rival New England Democrat Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, in early polls for the critical New Hampshire primary. NPR's Anthony Brooks reports.

Tens of thousands of Muslims begin a three-day march to mourn Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Hakim, a revered Iraqi Shiite cleric killed by a car-bomb attack Friday. Al-Hakim, a long-time opponent of Saddam Hussein, was one of more than 100 people killed in the bombing of the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

Legendary jazz bandleader Artie Shaw donates two of his clarinets to the Smithsonian Institution, including the instrument he used in 1938 to record his first big hit, "Begin the Beguine." Shaw received the institution's James Smithson Medal for his lifetime achievements in music. Until he retired in 1954, Shaw's fame rivaled that of Benny Goodman. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and NPR's Robert Siegel.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports on the hardest-working river in the West: the Colorado. Seven states draw from the river to water crops and quench the thirst of rapidly growing cities. As more users step up to tap the river, the conflicts increase between individual states, competing industries and nature itself.

Banning Eyre has a review of the new record from Bembeya Jazz. The group is back together after 14 years, adding to the roster of reunited African pop bands from the 1960s.

Alan Cheuse reviews SOAR by John Weisman. SOAR stands for Special Operations Air Regiment, part of the U.S. Army's Delta Force. The book takes readers to China, inside the CIA and among Islamic guerillas.

A Washington Post report reveals that Halliburton -- formerly headed by Vice President Dick Cheney -- has received Pentagon contracts worth $1.7 billion to aid in the rebuilding of Iraq. The contracts cover everything from building construction to logistical support. Hear Post reporter Michael Dobbs.

The March on Washington series continues with a remembrance of Curtis Mayfield's song, "People Get Ready." Although written more than a year after the march, the song evokes the spirit of the civil rights movement. NPR Senior Correspondent Juan Williams reports.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he would have resigned if a BBC report had been right in claiming his government exaggerated an intelligence report on the threat posed by Iraq's weapons program. Blair's statements came during testimony before a judicial inquiry investigating issues related to the case the British government made for war. Hear NPR's Guy Raz.