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The panel that oversaw NASA's effort to relaunch the space shuttle after the Columbia disaster issues its final report, giving NASA high marks. Still, critics outline problems with the agency's ability to manage the safety and reliability of the shuttle.

Next week, Roman Catholic cardinals will convene to elect the next pope. Noah Adams discusses the process with John Allen, Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter.

Commentator Judy Muller has been reading NBC anchorman Brian Williams' new Web blog, and she's not sure she likes where this new journalistic medium is going. The postings often detail newsroom discussions over what stories should lead the broadcast.

Hundreds of candlelight vigils are planned Wednesday evening across the United States in support of Cindy Sheehan, the California woman who has become the focal point of the national debate over the war in Iraq. Many military families have mixed feelings toward Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq last year.

The White House and U.S. politicians join others around the world in calling for the release of a retired archbishop, singer and others in the Chinese territory.

Critics have praised the building and mostly panned the exhibitions. Do they not get it? Or is the museum just not intended for them? Is there another way to present history and culture in a museum? The National Museum of the American Indian nears its first anniversary.

Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinovich, both Republicans from Ohio, have defied party leadership on two key issues in recent weeks. Voinovich has opposed John Bolton's nomination to be U.N. ambassador, while DeWine helped defuse a showdown on judicial filibusters. David Welna visited southwestern Ohio to see how their constituents view the maverick senators.

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.

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.

Dinosaur Jr. helped define and shape indie and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early '90s. The reunited band is now back on the road after issuing re-mastered versions of their first three albums: Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me, and Bug.

United Airlines has reached agreement with its mechanics' union, averting a threatened strike. Mechanics ratified a new contract Tuesday, and the machinists' union has agreed in principle to a new deal.

Alex Chadwick talks to Slate legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick for an analysis of the speech Judge John Roberts gave in February. Roberts talked about how difficult it is to make the transition from lawyer to judge, and shared some of the lessons he learned as a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

A draft Iraqi constitution appears ready to put to voters in a referendum this October. But Sunni leaders have denounced the document, and may try to block its passage. Alex Chadwick speaks with Slate military affairs writer Fred Kaplan.

With the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza complete, attention turns to plans for redevelopment in the area. Nigel Roberts of the World Bank tells Renee Montagne about rebuilding prospects and obstacles to economic recovery.

David Gray's new album, Life In Slow Motion, is the product of two years of work to evolve as a songwriter. The new release has been described by Gray himself as "the tip of an iceberg" of musical stores built up over time.

The newest military service branch is responsible for protecting satellites and other objects in space, which it expects will be critical parts of future wars.

A failure of the FBI's computerized system to match fingerprints allowed a wanted sex offender to walk free in Georgia. Authorities say after he was released, Jeremy Brian Jones went on to kill four women. Melissa Block talks with Kenneth Moses of the company Forensic Identification Services about the technology that the FBI uses to match fingerprints.

Merck Chairman and CEO Raymond Gilmartin will step down ahead of his planned retirement next year. He says the decision for an early departure from the pharmaceutical company is his own. Merck faces thousands of lawsuits from people who suffered heart attacks or strokes while taking the painkiller Vioxx.

weekend, residents along the Gulf Coast in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi have been preparing to evacuate their homes and head inland to safer ground. It's a familiar process for the millions of people who suffered through four brutal hurricanes last year.

Historically, military recruiters have been most successful attracting students right out of high school. But recruiting of teens can create conflict with parents worried about the risks of a military career in wartime.

Jennifer Lewis-Hall, author of the new self-help book Life Changes, explains how to make changes in your life — big or small — one step at a time.

A bill moving through the U.S. Senate would force the U.S. Supreme Court to televise its oral arguments -- a move strongly opposed by the nine justices, who have historically resisted electronic coverage of court proceedings and only recently allowed audio recordings of selected case arguments. Madeleine Brand discusses the reasons behind the proposal with Slate legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick.

Author and commentator John McWhorter talks about his latest book, Winning the Race: Beyond the Crisis in Black America.

The eight winners of the nation's largest lottery prize speak to the public about their newfound wealth. The new millionaires all work the night shift at a Lincoln, Neb., meat-processing plant. Nebraska Public Radio's Sarah McCammon reports.