WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina Tuesday mean that presidential politics is likely to dominate the news agenda this week. But among all the endless talk of demographics, victory margins and delegate counts, here are a few national and homeland security events and stories that might make the inside pages.

Armed services subcommittees in the House will begin to mark up the 2009 defense authorization bill. The Senate version contains provisions that try to shift the costs of reconstruction and military operations in war-battered Iraq more on the government there, which is benefiting from a revenue windfall owing to record oil prices.

The provision enjoys bipartisan support in both chambers and is seen as likely to make the final bill, though its ultimate effect is still unclear. The White House, which has not proved shy about vetoing legislation it regards as tying its hands in Iraq, said last week only that it was reviewing the bill.

Also in the Senate bill: provisions limiting the use of contractors in war zones; provisions banning the use by U.S. agencies of what the government calls enhanced interrogations but critics insist is torture; and authorization to spend an additional $1.2 billion on healthcare for military personnel and their families that the administration had proposed collecting from patients through increased deductibles and co-pays.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., says his three priorities for the bill are "readiness, readiness, readiness." If he follows through on that, look for the House bill to authorize more money for the long-neglected and often-raided operations and maintenance account; and for greater end-strength for the Army and Marine Corps. Of course, every dime in the bill still has to be appropriated.