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Alarm and confusion have grown in the three weeks since sweeping new federal rules took effect to protect the privacy of health information. The changes give patients many new rights, but rules that are meant to reassure patients in some cases are making them more worried than ever. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

Fifty-five years ago, John Steinbeck's best friend died in a train accident near Monterey's Cannery Row. Ricketts, a marine biologist, was cast as the fictional "Doc" in Steinbeck's best-selling novel. In the second of two Morning Edition reports, NPR's Renee Montagne looks back at Ricketts and his lasting legacy.

President Bush names former ambassador Paul Bremer as the new head of the transition team in Iraq. Bremer takes over for retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, who has been leading the post-war reconstruction effort so far. Observers say the appointment is aimed at downplaying the impression that Iraq is under U.S. military occupation. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

Host Robert Siegel talks with Newsweek correspondent Babak Dehghanpisheh, who is currently in Sulaimaniyah in northern Iraq. Dehghanpisheh says oil facilities in the region have started functioning on a limited basis, producing enough oil for domestic needs. He also said that ethnic cleansing by Kurds has decreased, and that the Americans have been playing a role in that despite their having tried to stay out of ethnic issues.

Turkey's government opens its border with Iraq to humanitarian relief deliveries. The World Food Program is sending about 3,000 tons of food and other supplies across the border each day, intended for people in northern Iraq. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

In the Iraqi city of Kut, anti-American feeling is rising. Shia leaders say they support the Americans, but that if U.S. forces remain in the country too long, Iraqis will resist their presence. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

As U.S. forces seek an interim administration to run Iraq until elections can be held, the Iraqi National Congress -- a group that opposed Saddam from exile -- is likely to have major influence. Shia Muslims also expect to play a part. Hear from NPR's Jackie Northam, NPR's Melissa Block and Christian Science Monitor reporter Peter Ford.

NPR's Ivan Watson in Baghdad reports Shia Muslim clergymen have mobilized militias and money in a growing bid to fill the vacuum left by the ouster of Saddam Hussein. Some Shiite clerics are advocating establishment of an Islamic state in Iraq, similar to the government in neighboring Iran.

Sporadic battles continue in northern Iraq. In the Kurdish-controlled town of Sulamaniyah, many fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein move though the area disguised as civilians. NPR's Juan Williams talks to Michael Ware of Time magazine.

Gen. Tommy Franks visits Baghdad for the first time, as the U.S. military's focus turns to restoring order in postwar Iraq. But anti-American protests erupt in Mosul, and Kurds in northern Iraq have their own agenda for change. Hear NPR's Scott Horsley, NPR's Melissa Block, and Barham Salih, prime minister of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.