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Medicare spending on motorized scooters has skyrocketed, creating a boom for businesses selling the devices. Customers say the chairs help them lead meaningful lives again. But some regulators say many people getting the power chairs don't qualify for them; Medicare has promised a crackdown on spending. NPR's Joseph Shapiro reports.

Protestors at this week's Democratic Convention have decided not to use the designated space -- better known as the "cage" -- for their actions. Instead, many are lining the path into the convention hall, singing, chanting and shouting their messages to the delegates entering the hall. NPR's Robert Smith reports that the messages from the protestors are varied, bizarre and aimed at getting the most attention.

The recent meeting in Thailand on endangered species receives mixed reviews as it closes. U.S. delegates proclaimed the conference a success. But critics call the treaty -- the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species -- a "shark without teeth." They say poachers are bolder and better armed than ever, and many species, like forest elephants, are on the road to extinction. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

The White House hopes to raise $35 billion over two days in Madrid for Iraq's reconstruction. Some observers call the goal unrealistic, and note that many countries are reluctant to make significant contributions while Iraq remains under U.S. control. Delegates from 70 countries are considering how much they'll pledge. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

The U.S. military is preparing Iraqis to play a larger role in their own country's security, including intelligence-gathering. The U.S. and many Iraqis are wary of reviving segments of Saddam Hussein's feared security service, the Mukhabarat. But supporters of the plan say there are plenty of experienced intelligence men in Iraq with no loyalty to the old regime. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

Many critics of the American electoral system focus on the nation's low Election Day turnout, a rate lower here than elsewhere in the free world. Some are now arguing about how big a problem voluntary non-participation poses, and what difference it would make if more people voted. NPR's Linda Wertheimer reports, as our series Whose Democracy Is It? continues.

U.S. Marines consolidate their hold on Saddam Hussein's hometown, one day after capturing Tikrit without much of a fight. But there's been no celebrating -- many of the town's Arab residents are hostile to the Americans. Some still openly voice support for Saddam. Meanwhile, there's trouble just north of Tikrit where Arab fighters have clashed with Kurdish paramilitary forces. NPR's Ivan Watson reports from Tikrit.

Before Sesame Street and Rugrats, an entire generation of children spent afternoons watching locally produced TV shows. Many local news anchors and weathermen did double duty as hosts, donning a cowboy hat or clown costume. Morning Edition host Bob Edwards interviews Tim Hollis, author of a new book about the history of local kids' TV shows.

Every summer millions of Americans pack their bags and hit the highways in recreational vehicles. With many Americans fearing air travel, industry groups say RV travel is more popular now than ever. For All Things Considered, reporter Brian Mann visits Vermont's Shelburne Museum, which has an exhibit celebrating the history and culture of the RV lifestyle.

In the final installment of his series on the disputed Himalayan region of Tibet, NPR's Rob Gifford reflects on how differently Tibet is viewed by those in China and those in the West. Chinese often see the area as a superstitious, backward land in need of economic development. Many Westerners see it as a spiritual Shangri-La that should be left alone. Tibetans are caught in the middle of these competing views.