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Contracts awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for post-Hurricane Katrina work along the Gulf Coast were initially awarded to big firms. But some local, smaller firms are questioning the deals. Unsuccessful bidders say the government didn't follow its own rules.

A divided U.S. Supreme Court rules on cases involving campaign-finance reform and the death penalty. Justices rejected a Vermont law that limited how much money a candidate can raise or spend. They upheld a Kansas law mandating a death sentence if evidence for and against the punishment appear equal. Madeleine Brand speaks with Slate legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick about the latest rulings.

Canada is calling for the arrest of a senior Iranian official in connection with the death of a female photojournalist. The woman was arrested while taking photographs of a prison. Hard-line Iranian authorities said she died of a stroke. Iranian reformists have said she was tortured to death.

A growing number of Israeli reserve soldiers, frustrated at the way the war with Hezbollah was managed, are calling for senior political and military officials to resign. Some soldiers have launched a petition drive; others are protesting outside Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office. Many soldiers say they lacked vital equipment and were misled by dithering leaders.

In a stunning reversal of fortune, it now seems likely that Pluto will lose its title of planet. Scientists meeting in Prague were presented with a new definition of the word "planet" last week, which would have included Pluto as a planet. But the proposal met with fierce protests. Opponents say there are hundreds of objects like Pluto.

Proust sure had it right, writes Gail Chalew. Tasting a familiar food can trigger instant memories of simpler, happier times. For this returned New Orleans evacuee, green tomatoes, that piquant and uniquely Southern delicacy, are the food inextricably linked to the Big Easy.

John McPhee has written at length about fish, geology, oranges, nuclear power, basketball... and the list goes on. At 75, the great reporter feels he has plenty of words, characters and subjects left to explore.

The real estate slump on both coasts has left a glut of condominiums on the market in places like San Diego. That's forcing some sellers into big price cuts. Many developers are responding to the changing market conditions by converting vacant condos into rentals.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to push through legislation to force state businesses to cap their greenhouse gas emissions. If it passes, it would be the first law of its kind in the nation.

School's out, and summer has officially begun. For many children, summer camp offers a chance to spread their wings a bit. It also provides a backdrop for friendships that can last a lifetime -- or, in at least one case, 58 years and counting.