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U.N. inspectors verify that North Korea shut down its only nuclear reactor. But Western governments want Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons. Six-party talks are to resume this week. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill talks with Steve Inskeep.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to a $660 million settlement with more than 500 alleged victims of sexual abuse by clergy members. The settlement, being finalized Monday in a Los Angeles court, is the largest yet by any U.S. diocese.

In L.A. Superior Court on Monday morning, attorneys for clergy sex-abuse victims and for the archdiocese presented a $660 million settlement. Attorneys and advocates for the victims are skeptical of the timing of the settlement as they believe it was timed to prevent the trial that was set to go ahead that day.

Confirmation hearings are scheduled Thursday for Dr. James Holsinger Jr., the Kentucky cardiologist nominated by President Bush to be the nation's 18th surgeon general. Holsinger is likely to face tough questioning — not only about his own qualifications, but about whether he can stand up to the political meddling that his predecessor, Richard Carmona, says hampered his ability to do the job.

Dr. Anthony Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., examines efforts to sideline militias and bring Iraq under the control of the government in Baghdad.

The Senate enters the second week of debate on a defense bill setting military policies and authorizing next year's Pentagon spending. Some senators are pushing to restore the legal protections of foreign detainees deemed to be "unlawful enemy combatants."

President Bush is threatening a veto if the Senate passes a Democratic plan that calls for the beginning of a drawdown of troops in Iraq within four months.

The inmate required immediate "life-saving measures" after an assault in a federal prison in Florida, officials told NPR.

Parents are fuming after learning that 1.5 million of the popular Thomas the Tank Engine toys are being recalled. The toys, made in China, contain lead paint especially dangerous for children.

President Nguyen Minh Triet's trip is the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to the U.S. since the war. Economic issues will dominate the agenda.