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Wisconsin holds a primary Tuesday, and former Vermont governor Howard Dean is hoping for a strong showing in a state he has focused on for weeks. But even Dean admits his campaign has been "a tough slog." NPR's Robert Smith reports.

Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, strongly advises any new Iraqi government not to ask American troops to leave until security is improved in the country. Abizaid adds he does not think Iraqi forces will be ready to maintain security on their own by June 30, the date when the United States hopes to transfer sovereignty back to the Iraqi people. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

Three decades after U.S. forces withdrew from Vietnam, service in that war has once again become a presidential campaign issue. Military service can lend candidates "heroic stature." Some historians cite its growing importance in elections as evidence of the "masculinization" of American politics. NPR's Bob Edwards talks with historians David Anderson and Douglas Brinkley.

In the last few days, political pundits, online supporters and even his now-departed campaign chairman have forecast that Howard Dean would exit the presidential race if he loses Tuesday's primary in Wisconsin. On Monday, Dean tried to stop the chatter, noting that he speaks for his campaign and insisting he's still in the race. Hear NPR's Robert Smith.

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean reveals that his national campaign chairman, Steve Grossman, has left. The departure came after Grossman told reporters that Dean would drop out of the race if he loses in Wisconsin. Dean did not disclose whether Grossman was fired or left of his own accord. Hear NPR's Robert Smith.

The Halliburton Company announces it will defer billing the Pentagon $140 million in meals for U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East until bookkeeping irregularities are resolved. The oil services giant says it will suspend billing the government until it can resolve discrepancies over the number of meals ordered and the number actually served. Hear NPR's John Burnett.

Wesley Clark officially withdraws from the Democratic presidential race. The retired general, who got into the contest late, leaves having won only one primary, in Oklahoma on Feb. 3. He is the fourth major candidate to withdraw. NPR's Greg Allen reports.

South Korean and U.S. researchers say they have successfully cloned a human embryo and extracted embryonic stem cells from it. The experiment, reported in the journal Science, is the first instance of cloned human stem cells -- an important step toward therapeutic cloning, in which patients' own replacement tissue would be generated to treat them. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' failure to win either of the two Southern primaries up for grabs Tuesday has led some to question the future viability of his presidential campaign. Edwards says he plans to campaign in Wisconsin each day until the state's Feb. 17 primary, and has no intention of withdrawing from the race. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

The White House releases pay records and other information about President Bush's time in the National Guard. The White House said the new documents support the president's contention that he fulfilled his duty as a member of the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. Democratic presidential candidates had begun to take up the question of Bush's military service. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.