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A famed Kansas space museum finds itself at the center of a criminal case over the fate of several NASA artifacts. The museum's former president has been charged with selling or trading items that were on loan to the museum.

Madeleine Brand talks to KPBS senior editor Russell Lewis about the resignation of San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy and the uncertainties around the selection of a successor. Murphy's resignation comes amid a probe of the city's debt-ridden pension fund. He narrowly won re-election to the office in November, and was recently named by Time magazine as one of the three worst mayors of a major U.S. city.

For about 10 percent of people with severe depression, no available treatments work -- not anti-depressant medicines, not psychotherapy, not even electro-shock therapy. Now a revolutionary treatment that entails brain surgery shows preliminary promise in treating intractable depression.

Day to Day introduces listeners to Missy Higgins, a young singer-songwriter who has quickly become one of Australia's most popular musicians. Higgins began singing in her early teens, lying about her age to play at clubs. Hear her perform live at NPR West.

News and Notes with Ed Gordon correspondent and sometimes guest host Chideya talks about ethnic issues in Phoenix, Ariz. -- known as the "new Mecca" for the nation's black middle class.

It's been 25 years since comedians Dan Akroyd and John Belushi took a skit they made popular on Saturday Night Live and turned it into a feature film. Many critics hated the Blues Brothers movie, but it made enough of an impression to lead to a sequel. And this summer's 25th anniversary brings the inevitable anniversary DVD.

Host Neal Conan continues coverage of Katrina's aftermath with stories from those most affected by the storm and resulting flooding, plus from newspaper, magazine and NPR reporters in the area.

French voters rejected the EU constitution and the Netherlands is expected to do the same Wednesday. Charles Kupchan, director of European Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, explains what lies ahead for the EU and how these developments affect U.S.-European relations.

In just five days, Israel has nearly cleared Gaza of all Jewish settlers. The process has sometimes been traumatic; scenes of violence Thursday in one settlement, Kfar Darom, have disturbed many in Israel.

Russian and Chinese forces begin eight days of joint military exercises involving 10,000 troops. Moscow and Beijing say they are training to counter "terrorism, extremism and separatism." But the long-range weaponry involved suggests a broader agenda.

In the second of two commentaries about Cindy Sheehan, commentator Desiree Cooper says that Sheehan has focused new attention on the Iraq war. Americans are paying attention to it in a way they have not since the election. Cooper says we should be ashamed that it takes a woman who has lost her son and is willing to camp out in front of President Bush's ranch in order to focus attention on the war.

Pharmaceutical company Merck will appeal Friday's $253-million jury award in the death of a man who had taken the painkiller Vioxx. But thousands of cases await the company in state and federal court.

Mandolin player David Grisman pays tribute to fiddle great Vassar Clements, who died this week at 77. Grisman says Clements was a Nashville virtuoso and "one of the architects of bluegrass."

A military convoy rolls through flooded streets to bring food, supplies, and the National Guard to New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast. But conditions remain desperate in many parts of the city.

The singer-songwriter's latest project is Front Parlour Ballads, a mostly acoustic work. Thompson tells John Ydstie about songs build around bikers, schoolyard bullies, dreamers, lovers and losers.

Wiffle ball began as a sport for kids, but in the past few years it's grown up. Adults put on uniforms and stage a national tournament. But in Milesburg, Pa., wiffle ball has been in style for decades, and they play by their own rules.

Writer and producer Chappy Hardy is on a mission to eat his way across the southern United States, measuring the places he dines by delectability and cost-per-bite. He speaks with Scott Simon from Lil' Dizzy's, a restaurant outside the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Veteran financial advisor, Brooke Stephens, author of Talking Dollars and Making Sense: A Wealth-Building Guide for African-Americans, offers last-minute tax advice.

Monday, 115 cardinals of the Catholic Church will withdraw into a conclave in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. The session, the first in 27 years, will be a blend of Old-World pageantry and state-of-the-art technology.

Juan Williams talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the Bush administration's approach to U.S. diplomacy. She discusses how the world views the United States, and how she views herself.

Alex Chadwick talks with NPR senior correspondent Juan Williams about the political events of the week, including the Senate debate over John Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations.

Commentator Frank Deford says part of the allure of professional sports drafts is trying to predict who will be picked by whom and when.

Renee Montagne talks with Afghanistan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. He is in Washington with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who met with President Bush earlier this week. Abdullah discusses prisoner abuse in Afghanistan, recent anti-American protests and ongoing tensions in U.S.-Afghan relations.

President Bush appears in Ohio on Day 44 of his 60-day Social Security policy campaign. Other administration officials are also touring to address the issue: Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt held a session Wednesday in Chicago.

NPR's Noah Adams talks with Slate contributor Will Saletan about the growing popularity of LASIK laser vision surgery among athletes. Saletan offers his thoughts about whether performance-enhancing surgery for athletes should be wrapped into the debate over the use of steroids.