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Lawmakers question the Bush administration's $87 billion request for Iraq and Afghanistan, but GOP leaders say they expect congressional approval. U.S. officials say the funds will boost the estimated federal deficit to more than $525 billion. And Secretary of State Powell prepares for a Saturday meeting with the permanent U.N. Security Council members. Hear NPR's David Welna, NPR's John Ydstie and NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Meyers face tough questioning from the Senate Armed Services Committee about the progress of the U.S. mission in Iraq. Senators question the doubling of the mission's cost and the extension of tours of duty for U.S. reservists to one year. Hear NPR's David Welna.

In Fallujah, Iraq, crowds angry over a U.S. "friendly fire" incident that killed at least nine people stage angry protests. Meanwhile, in Najaf, the U.S. military seeks to rein in militia force loyal to the slain Shiite cleric Ayatollah Hakim. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

Deep divisions remain within the U.N. Security Council over the political future of Iraq. Foreign ministers from the five nations met Saturday to work on a U.N. resolution that the U.S. hopes would pave the way for other countries to contribute to peacekeeping and reconstruction of Iraq. But there was no breakthrough. NPR's Nick Spicer reports.

One month after a bombing that killed 21 people at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, the organization has sharply reduced its humanitarian efforts in Iraq. U.N. officials say they are struggling to deliver food, water and medical services with a much thinner staff. Hear U.N. Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland.

Testifying before a Senate panel, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Meyers say more money is essential for military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lawmakers question the administration's request for $87 billion and say it is a "bitter pill to swallow." Hear NPR's David Welna.

Twenty-five years ago today, the leaders of Egypt and Israel signed a framework for peace in the Middle East. President Jimmy Carter, who mediated the Camp David Accords, tells NPR's Bob Edwards the historic agreement holds lessons for the region today.

Alan Cheuse reviews Saul and Patsy, by Charles Baxter.

Secretary of State Colin Powell wraps up his trip to Iraq with a visit to the northern town of Halabja, where as many as 5,000 Kurds died in a 1988 chemical attack by Saddam Hussein's regime. Powell says he looks forward to a report expected soon from a U.S. team searching Iraq for banned weapons, which have yet to be found. Hear NPR's Emily Harris.

He won an Oscar this year for his role in Roman Polanski's The Pianist. Brody played Wladyslaw Szpilman, the Polish pianist and Holocaust survivor. Brody's other films include Summer of Sam, The Thin Red Line, Restaurant, and The Affair of the Necklace. He's now starring in Dummy.