In a major effort to protect migrating birds from landing in the Gulf of Mexico, the Natural Resources Conservation Service is working hard to create an oil-free landing space for million of migrating birds. chief of the service, Dave White says, "no one has taken on a project of this size and speed before." We look at this issue and bring you this morning's headlines.

Millions of migratory birds are getting ready to head south, right into or through the Gulf of Mexico and the biggest environmental disaster in decades. That is a toxic combination. So a little known federal agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, is working fast to convert up to 150,000 acres of private land, mostly farm land, into alternative bird habitats. The idea is to lure the loons and mallards away from the tainted waters of the Gulf and threatened surrounding wetlands.

Tonight, LeBron James will finally end the speculation about his future and announce which basketball team he will sign with, ending the hopes of many teams hoping to sign the 25-year-old basketball superstar.

A dramatic ten yard header guaranteed the advancement of the Spanish soccer team to the World Cup finals. They defeated Germany 1-0, scoring at 73 minutes into the match.  

In Tehran, a private organization has introduced a catalog of appropriate haircuts for men, the first such code since the Islamic Revolutions of 1979. The list, presented by the Veil and Modesty Festival, has not been officially sanctioned by the Ministry of Culture, though they say approval is "pending."

Today our partner WGBH Radio begins an investigative series about the growing national and international criminal enterprise of human and sexual trafficking, and examines how nail salons in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are being used to hide and legitimize illegal activities. Women are being trafficked to work in salons during the day and then pulled into prostitution at night, and because a salon is a cash-based business, it is a perfect place to launder the money brought in through prostitution. 

Could we live in a world without the lightbulb? Imagine having to wait for a full moon to travel at night. Or being locked in your house from sunset until sunrise, so the government could prevent crime and chaos in the streets.

We talk with Sarah Edwards, who has lived without air condtioning for 71 years. She says that sitting on the porch and drinking iced tea is the way to beat the heat; headlines.

During this heat wave, many of us are thankful for our air conditioning, despite the power costs. We're talking about the problems with our reliance on A/C and about some of the cultural changes that go with shutting ourselves indoors. We want to know from you, What would your life be like without air conditioning? Would you leave your house more? Interact with more people?

Yesterday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood criticized a Washington lobbying firm that was drumming up opposition to his distracted driving campaign. The Seward Square Group created the DRIVE coalition to promote driver education as an alternative to LaHood's proposal, which would lead to poor sales for mobile devices (they even went after Oprah).

As we get hit by record heat, it's hard to imagine a world without air conditioning. However, the modern comfort hasn't been around that long and many still manage to stay cool without it. We've been asking you if you could go without A/C. From fans to lemonade, you had some suggestions.

Nora from New Jersey writes:

"Actually, I know what it would be like because I don't have air conditioning. The house is actually comfortable during the day (thermostat said 86 this morning. I like heat). We keep the blinds drawn so the sun won't heat it during the day and run the window fan at night with the windows open. I admit the 2nd floor bedroom got hot last night, but that was an exception... Usually we're fine. Except in the office, where I'm being slowly refrigerated and need to wear a sweater all day."

The Department of Veterans Affairs is set to issue new rules, as early as Monday, which should simplify the way veterans receive compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is one of the most common psychological injuries afflicting veterans today and creating new regulations for treatment is an attempt to break some of the barriers to treatment.

Security officials in Iraq say that at least three people have been killed and more than 30 injured in the latest bomb attack. Today marks the death of the Imam Kadhim, the seventh of twelve holy figures who defined the Shiite faith. This follows yesterday's suicide bombing that killed more than 50 people at a police checkpoint in Baghdad. They were among the hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims taking part in the annual precession to Kadhimiya's shrine to honor the eight century Imam.

Terrorism expert Jessica Stern has been helping Americans understand the complexities behind the causes of terrorism in the 21st century. However, it took her many years to understand her own fascination with the subject. At age 15 she was attacked and raped in her own home. The crime was not immediately investigated. Stern explains how writing about her own experience with terror led her to better understand the relationship between terrorists and their victims.

On Friday, Chrysler will make its last PT Cruiser. Ten years ago, the Cruiser became a cultural phenonenon with buyers willing to wait in line for their chance to own one. Why did the Cruiser strike such a chord?

U.S. Senate hopeful Alvin Greene has a new plan to stimulate South Carolina's economy: action figures — of himself! He says that by creating the toys, he'll be helping out the retail industry. Greene is a veteran, who says that it makes sense to create his own action figure. There are still questions around how this unknown man became the Democratic Senate nominee, but he will face Republican Jim Demint in November.