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Astronomers unveil a new image taken with the Hubble Space Telescope that reveals the deepest look ever at distant and ancient galaxies, providing a glimpse of the universe as it appeared shortly after the big bang. The image was released at an event designed to rally support for efforts to save Hubble, which is slated for early retirement in 2006. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.

The papers of the late Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, now public, show how the justice's legal opinions on the death penalty changed during his 24-year tenure on the high court. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

Shiite militias in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra have been patrolling the streets and cracking down on the sale of music, pornography and alcohol. Many residents now fear criticizing the city's Islamic parties, and British forces occupying the area worry the militias are undermining their activities. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

As the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq inches closer, U.S. soldiers starting to pull out are leaving behind subtle cultural influences. In Iraqi shops, shelves are dominated by heavy metal and rap music, Playboy magazines and U.S. Army Meals-Ready-to-Eat. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

More than 200,000 Iraqi men have signed up for the nation's new security force despite the deaths of at least 300 police in the wake of the U.S.-led effort to oust Saddam Hussein. And for the first time, Iraqi women are seeking police jobs. NPR's Deborah Amos reports.

While public places are required by law to be accessible to people with disabilities, religious sanctuaries are not. NPR's Joseph Shapiro reports on one woman's attempt to get houses of worship to open their doors to the disabled.

Some Florida state legislators announce that they regret their votes last year that kept alive an incapacitated woman, against court orders and her husband's wishes. They say they voted under pressure and are refusing to support those who want to make the law apply to others in Florida. NPR's Phillip Davis reports.

Continuing a week-long series on problems common throughout Latin America, NPR's Martin Kaste reports on the prevalent black market economy in Caracas, Venezuela. Confronted with a shortage of jobs and economic hardship, many residents of the metropolitan capital area have resorted to joining the so-called "informal economy" in order to make ends meet.

In the second part of our series on the Inland Empire, NPR's Ina Jaffe reports that subdivisions are swiftly replacing orange orchards in this area 50 miles east of Los Angeles, and shopping malls are replacing ranches. But some farmers here who want to hang on to their way of life are finding it's still possible.

NASA plans to test an aircraft this weekend designed to fly seven times the speed of sound, using an innovative engine called a "scramjet." The test is part of an effort to develop missiles that can reach any target on Earth within two hours, and spacecraft that can transport people and cargo more cheaply. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.