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The 115 members of the College of Cardinals -- from six continents -- are sequestering themselves in the Sistine Chapel and begin voting Monday to elect a new pope. The process will mix medieval pageantry with ultramodern technology.

A narrow Senate vote on a budget resolution makes the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge potentially vulnerable to oil drilling. The measure could be rescinded later in the budget process, but Wednesday's 51-49 vote is a defeat for those who have sought to protect the Alaskan preserve from oil exploration.

President Bush often cites "guest worker" programs as one solution to the problem of illegal immigration. Eric Niiler reports from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay about the effectiveness of the commercial crab industry's own guest worker program, where crab processors often have a difficult time finding people to work the crab-picking lines for low wages.

Robert Siegel talks about John Bolton with Ambassador Robert Hutchings, former chairman of the National Intelligence Council. Hutchings testified in the Senate last week about Bolton's nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Hutchings had a number of disagreements with Bolton when they both worked in government.

As a psychologist, Helen Hand worked in a thriving clinical practice for almost 25 years. But then the death of her brother, at age 54, led her to a new path. Now she's working to fulfill his plans, as president of Colorado Free University.

For the Ga tribe in coastal Ghana, funeral processions feature brightly colored coffins shaped like cars, sewing machines or cigarettes -- honoring the dead by celebrating the way they lived.

A May 24 date has been set to sell the beachfront property in Surfside where the Champlain Towers South collapse took place last year.

As the United Nations continues its regular five-year review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Iran's foreign minister tells conference participants that his country is determined to develop nuclear technology, including a process to enrich uranium that some observers worry could lead to an arms program.

John Brown's violent campaign against slavery — punctuated by the dramatic 1859 raid at Harper's Ferry, Va. — made him a divisive figure, then and now. A new biography by David Reynolds examines the abolitionist's life and his cultural impact.

A composer, performer and installation artist from the Navajo Nation, Chacon's winning piece, Voiceless Mass, was composed for chamber orchestra and a specific Milwaukee pipe organ.

Cheryl Corley reports on how a Detroit community group is using Geographical Information Systems mapping technology to fight urban blight.

New Mexico wildfires are continuing to grow as unrelenting high winds make conditions very difficult for firefighters.

Ashoura, the holiest day on the Shiite Muslim calendar, is marred by violence aimed at Shiites marking the holiday. Tens of thousands march in a traditional procession to Karbala despite attacks that left at least 11 more dead. Suicide bombings took 35 lives in Iraq on Friday.

Many Oscar winners have studied with famous acting teachers such as Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler. Their teaching methods remain a huge influence on the art of acting, both on the silver screen and on the live stage.

Ed Gordon speaks with author, minister and scholar Michael Eric Dyson about the effects of Bill Cosby's controversial remarks aimed at certain African-American communities. Dyson's new book is Is Bill Cosby Right: Or Has The Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?

The Biden administration is re-opening its embassy in Ukraine and hoping the Senate will approve a new ambassador. The nominee, Bridget Brink, was on Capitol Hill for her confirmation hearing Tuesday.

The bunchberry dogwood, a tiny North American shrub, is the fastest-moving plant ever discovered, bursting open to release its pollen with the force of a huge explosive, researchers report in this week's issue of the journal Nature.

After two straight presidential elections marked by disputes over the voting process, a bipartisan commission examining the issue hears testimony about continuing voter suspicion and limited funds. Former President Jimmy Carter and Secretary of State James Baker III head the panel.

Monday is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. In Los Angeles, one young black woman is going to extraordinary lengths to do her part. Rachel Deco is training for a 600-mile bike ride to raise money to fight the disease -- and get into shape in the process.

About a year ago, we aired a story about Suzanne, a single Chicago woman in her forties, as she attempted to get pregnant by in vitro fertilization. The procedure did not work. Shortly thereafter, Suzanne, who is white, decided she'd like to adopt an African-American baby. Hear Suzanne's story in her own words.

A National Labor Relations Board official outlined a host of labor law violations in a filing seeking reinstatement and backpay for the employees.

Wall Street's worries about the Federal Reserve's ability to deal with high inflation has led to some wild swings in the market, and that heightened volatility is likely to continue.

The decision will almost certainly keep in place for this year’s elections the controversial 2021 law that created additional hurdles for voters to cast ballots by mail.

The Bush and Kerry campaigns are both vowing an all-out crusade to ensure that voting goes smoothly come November. But the legal and technical challenges of the electoral process are already stirring debate around the nation. NPR's Tavis Smiley discusses the issue with Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree and Ted Selker of the CalTech MIT Voting Technology Project.

Scott Simon speaks to Joan Biskupic, legal analyst at CNN and Supreme Court biographer, about Chief Justice John Roberts and his leadership within the Supreme Court.