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The mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took another hit on Wall Street Thursday, after a former Fed official suggested the companies may need a government bailout. Others are weighing in, too.

Democratic leaders are giving the Treasury Department's plans to rescue the giant mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac a favorable reception on Capitol Hill. The plan, which includes extending the companies' total line of credit to $300 billion, would be attached to the housing bill now making its way through Congress.

The Supreme Court decision has led Washington, D.C., to draft a new handgun law. D.C. Council Member Phil Mendelson, chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, says the new measure will likely include a self-defense exception.

NPR's Laura Sullivan talks to host Andrea Seabrook about her dramatic report on prison overcrowding last week and the two days she spent in San Quentin.

The bipartisan Senate bill aimed at easing the nation's housing crisis includes billions of dollars in grants and loans for homebuyers. It also has tax breaks for builders and other businesses. Critics say the bill doesn't go far enough to help struggling homeowners.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending the last day of the NATO summit in Bucharest. Russia — and its tense relationship with the West — has loomed over the meeting. Putin is against allowing former Soviet republics Ukraine and Georgia onto NATO's membership track.

President Bush travels to Russia to prepare for his meeting Sunday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. It's the final summit before both men leave office. Bush hopes to persuade Putin to drop objections to U.S. plans for a missile defense system.

Sen. John McCain on Wednesday outlined his foreign policy goals in a speech in Los Angeles. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee called for the United States to work more collegially with allies and to live up to its duties as a world leader. He also raised questions about Bush policies — while remaining firmly in support of the Iraq war.

Ongoing anti-government protests have sparked violence in Tibet, and China accuses the Dalai Lama of instigating the unrest. Journalist Pico Iyer has known the Dalai Lama for three decades and written a new book about the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.

The Girl Scouts have launched a major makeover to revitalize their brand and boost their membership, especially among minorities. The group hopes to debunk the image of girl scouting as making crafts, camping and baking cookies.