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A study released by the California Nurses Association finds that hospitals dramatically mark up the price of medication when they bill insurance companies for patient care. Some hospitals mark up prices by 700 percent. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.

As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a case that could radically change the way public colleges admit students, states seeking to diversify student bodies consider alternatives to traditional affirmative-action programs. NPR's Barbara Bradley-Hagerty reports.

A federal judge in Seattle temporarily halts the deportation of a group of Somali immigrants, over strong objections of the Justice Department. Department of Justice lawyers argue that the ability to deport aliens is crucial in the war on terrorism. NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports.

NPR's Barbara Mantel reports on how New Yorkers are bracing -- and plotting -- in the event the city's bus and subway workers go on strike. The contract for the city's transport workers union ends Sunday, and workers are threatening a walkout if the city's transportation authority doesn't raise wages enough.

A nationwide strike in Venezuela is in its tenth day. Food and water supplies are being depleted in some areas, and the country's oil industry is crippled. Opponents and supporters of President Hugo Chavez are protesting in Caracas, violently clashing at times. Chavez vows to outlast the opposition. NPR's Gerry Hadden reports.

President Bush wants the Pentagon to move forward with a new missile defense system. Bush is asking the military to deploy the first phase of such a system by 2004. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

Santa's not the only one who checks his list. Companies who hire shopping-mall St. Nicks are going to greater lengths to make sure their Christmas-time helpers don't have naughty tendencies. NPR's Cara Gerhard reports.

Scientists studying butterflies in motion take note of a variety of wing maneuvers used by the graceful creatures. The research, published in the journal Nature, adds to efforts to help engineers design innovative aircraft, including tiny flying robots. NPR's Eric Niiler reports.

A U.S. Navy experiment with "optimal manning" reduces crew members through better cross-training efforts. The USS Mobile Bay, a guided-missile cruiser, is one of four ships involved in the test. Russell Lewis of member station KPBS reports.

NPR's Margot Adler reports on court arguments today in a class-action lawsuit challenging the government's detention and treatment of Muslim and Arab men after the Sept. 11 attacks. The Center for Constitutional Rights sued on behalf of seven detainees -- all of whom are no longer in custody. The suit says the government unlawfully used immigration laws to detain people to investigate the terrorist attacks.