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The U.S. Supreme Court took on a long-running legal fight Wednesday over an 8-foot cross in the Mojave Desert. The court heard arguments on whether the cross, which was erected on federal parkland as a war memorial, violates the rights of those who are offended by its religious symbolism.

New car purchases are at the lowest levels in 10 years. Nearly all major carmakers reported steep sales declines for June. Derek Mattsson, head of Vehix.com, says consumers are still favoring cars like the Honda Civic at the expense of U.S. vehicles.

Up to 20 percent of soldiers who have fought in Iraq say they sustained a brain injury. Most with a severe brain injury never return to active duty. Army Spc. Freddy Meyers was shot in the head last May and initially could neither talk nor walk. Now he wants to go back to duty.

News of Ted Stevens' indictment for allegedly failing to disclose services he received from a private company drew mixed reactions from his Senate colleagues. The Alaska senator, who faces seven felony counts, has allies on both sides of the aisle and has declared his innocence.

Gen. David Petraeus, who once led U.S. troops in Iraq, becomes head of the U.S. Central Command Friday. That position includes responsibility for the war in Afghanistan. Petraeus already has endorsed reaching out to less-extreme Taliban elements. He also is expected to send more troops and air power to support the war in Afghanistan.

Barack Obama has been elected president with 52 percent of the popular vote. A day after the result, he named his transition team. Obama will have to navigate between lawmakers like Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), who wants new spending programs, and blue dog Democrats who want to work with pay-go rules.

There is a growing confrontation between the Israeli government and radical Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. After security forces destroyed an unauthorized settler outpost, the settlers called for violence against Israeli soldiers and rampaged through a Palestinian village. Senior Israeli officials are pushing for tougher action against the right-wing settlers.

A Justice Department report finds that aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales illegally discriminated against job applicants who weren't Republican or conservative loyalists. The report concludes that politics illegally influenced the hiring of career prosecutors and immigration judges.

The current economic climate is prompting investors to ask where the economy is heading. Juli Niemann, an executive vice president at Smith Moore & Company in Saint Louis, says she's discouraging investors both from panic selling and from bargain buying at this point.

As states brace for insurance market instability, some — like Maryland — take aggressive action.

After a war of words between President Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un over the ability to launch nuclear attacks from their desks, orders rose for pills to protect against radiation.

Food and Drug Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says he wants to know why drugmakers churn out medicines for some rare diseases but not others.

Turkey dinner with a side dish of death isn't everyone's idea of a festive meal. But end-of-life planning advocates say the holidays are an ideal time to have these conversations with family members.

A voucher awarded to a company that finds a treatment for a rare childhood disease can be sold to the highest bidder and then used to fast-track the review of another drug. Are the prizes worth it?

After a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last month reaffirmed a woman's right to an abortion, anti-abortion groups are rethinking their approach. And they don't all agree on the best next steps.

Israel held elections Tuesday and preliminary results show both Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu and Kadima's Tzipi Livni claiming victory. The results are a sign of the difficult coalition government talks to come.

The federal government has lent $170 billion to troubled insurance giant AIG to prevent its collapse. There's been criticism of that bailout, but it pales when compared to widespread outrage over the $165 million that AIG paid recently in employee bonuses. Republicans have gone on the offensive against the Obama administration, while Democrats are scrambling to recoup the bonus payments.

The federal government has ordered some of the nation's largest banks to raise a total of $75 billion. The Treasury Department revealed the results of its so called "stress tests" to assess the health of the financial system. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and others will be required to raise more capital.

Steve Inskeep talks to head coach Muffet McGraw about Sunday night's victory over Mississippi State, 61-58, that came down to one 3-point shot that beat the buzzer.

Carmen Herrera was making art in the '50s and '60s but her male counterparts were getting all of the attention. Now, she's still hard at work and finally getting some long overdue recognition.

Steve Inskeep talks to Robin Wright, a contributing writer to The New Yorker, about the regional tensions surrounding Wednesday's terrorist attacks in Iran's capital.

The new tally of 66 people still missing represents a significant drop from a week earlier, when authorities said 385 remained unaccounted for. The confirmed death toll remains at 115.

In Lauren Groff's gorgeous, precise new story collection, Florida is a haunted place, full of eyes in the darkness — and angry, restless women, always on the move, always searching for something.

John Kaag extracts ideas from Nietzsche and his followers — but also from his own experience — in this stimulating book about combating despair and complacency with searching reflection.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media about the women's world cup final, a Major League Baseball controversy, and the race for the MLB playoffs.