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The National Urban League releases its annual State of Black America report, which measures racial disparity in the United States. The most noticeable differences are in the areas of home ownership and economic parity -- black earning power is about 73 percent that of whites. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and Robert Bowser, mayor of East Orange, N.J.

Frontrunner Sen. John Kerry all but clinches the Democratic presidential nomination after winning nine of 10 "Super Tuesday" states. Sen. John Edwards fails to win in any states and will formally drop out of the race Wednesday. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who ended his presidential campaign last month, wins in his home state. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

Kamal al-Jarah, a senior member of the Iraqi education ministry, is killed outside his home in Baghdad -- the second such attack in as many days. This weekend's violence echoes warnings from the U.S.-led coalition that insurgents plan more attacks in the weeks leading to the handover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 30. Hear NPR's Emily Harris.

Urban legends about the origins of fast-food chicken, or what might be living in the New York City sewer system, have always fascinated kids -- and commentator Jake Halpern. But when his laptop burst into flames spontaneously, he realized that he had his own story that was too fantastic ever to be believed. Jake Halpern is the author of the book Braving Home.

This summer, Warner Home Videos released four restored Charlie Chaplin classics on DVD -- The Gold Rush, Modern Times, The Great Dictator and Limelight. The biggest challenge restorers faced was in deciding which versions of Chaplin's films were authoritative. Howie Movshowitz of Colorado Public Radio reports.

Actress Lynne Thigpen dies at her Los Angeles home this week. The cause of death is not immediately known. She was 54. Born and raised in Joliet, Ill., she distinguished herself on the stage -- winning a Tony for An American Daughter -- and in film and television appearances. Most recently she was a co-star of the CBS drama The District.

Fifty years ago, the first consumer color TV sets started rolling off the assembly line. It took more than a decade for color television to become a household fixture. NPR's Lynn Neary reports on the early days of color TV, and the way today's new technology is similarly transforming home entertainment.

Dream Jungle is the third novel by Jessica Hagedorn, who was born and raised in the Philippines. Hagedorn places the story in her home country in the 1970s, and weaves together several narratives involving a number of characters, including a young country girl, an urban businessman and an American journalist. Alan Cheuse reviews the book.

At a rally in Pittsburgh, Sen. John Kerry confirms his choice of North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as his vice presidential running mate. Kerry calls Edwards a man of "courage and conviction" who brings strong values of "home and family" to the Democratic ticket to "shape a better America." Hear NPR's Renee Montagne.

A group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claims responsibility for killing 49 soldiers from the new Iraqi Army. The men, unarmed as they traveled home after training, were shot in a mass execution near the Iranian border. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden and NPR's Emily Harris.