• Half of Niger's residents face hunger from “double disaster” of drought, floods
• Judge blocks federal funding for stem cell research
• In a first, US sends human rights report to United Nations for review
• ACLU settles with Wisconsin over deficient services at women’s prison
• Florida primaries draw national attention

• District Court Judge: Troy Davis “is not innocent”
• Relief efforts slow in flood devastated Pakistan
• Defense Department surveys military spouses about repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
• Mass rape in eastern DR Congo, babies among victims
• More food recalls; FDA calls for power to order recalls in future

The western African republic of Niger is one of the world's poorest countries, with a per capita income around $700. Over the past few years the people of Niger have suffered a series of food shortages and droughts. But now, aid agencies say Niger has been hit with a double calamity - as flooding has displaced thousands and more than 7 million are facing lack of food.

For more, we go to Niger's capital Niamey and we're joined on the phone by Caroline Gluck. She's the humanitarian press officer for Oxfam International and she's been monitoring the situation there.

The Obama Administration’s move to fund embryonic stem cell research has been temporarily halted. A federal district judge ruled Monday that the research exceeds limitations passed by Congress in the nineties. But even those within the scientific community say the immediate effects on research are unclear. Matt Laslo reports from Washington.

For the first time, the United States has submitted a report on its human rights record for evaluation by the United Nations. The report includes some reflection on where the country can do better – but also leaves some things out. Some analysts say the fact that the U.S. submitted the report at all is an indication that the country’s relationship with the UN is changing. Tanya Snyder reports.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Wisconsin have reached an agreement with the state of Wisconsin to settle a class-action lawsuit charging that prisoners at the state’s largest women’s prison, had grossly deficient medical and mental health care.  They filed papers yesterday for court approval of the agreement.  JoAnne Powers has the story from Madison, Wisconsin.

Voters in five states head to the polls today to determine some major races in primary elections. Arizona, Alaska, Vermont, Oklahoma and Florida feature some key contests. In Arizona four term Senator John McCain faces a challenge from conservative J. D. Hayworth. McCain, who has shed his "maverick" persona in order to bulk up his Republican credentials, has spent some $20 million in the primary campaign.

Also in Arizona, Ben Quayle, the 33-year-old son of former vice president Dan Quayle, is one of ten candidates in a congressional race in the state's 3rd congressional district.

In Alaska, Sarah Palin has endorsed ex-Governor Joe Miller in a challenge to incumbent Lisa Murkowski in a Senate Republican primary seen as an indicator of Palin's - and the Tea Party's - influence in her home state. In Vermont five Democratic candidates face off in a gubernatorial primary that observers say is wide open and Oklahoma voters will have two Republican congressional run-offs - one of those races is to replace Representative Mary Fallin, who is running for governor.

But it's Florida that has drawn nationwide attention where two statewide primary races are being watched closely. From Community Radio WMNF in Tampa, Seán Kinane reports.