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Forty years ago, the poet Sylvia Plath killed herself, leaving behind a husband, two children and a collection of poems that would make her famous. This month, two books and a new film look back at her life and legacy. NPR's Lynn Neary reports on the enduring interest in Plath.

China launches its first manned space flight, becoming just the third nation to rocket a man into orbit. The Shenzhou 5 space vehicle blasted off Wednesday from northwest China carrying one astronaut. NPR's Rob Gifford reports.

The House approves President Bush's $87 billion request for new spending in Afghanistan and Iraq. The funds, aimed mostly at supporting U.S. troops in those countries, are likely to pass in the Senate Friday night. The lopsided vote in favor of the aid request belies weeks of debate over the spending measure and the U.S. presence in Iraq. NPR's David Welna reports.

Increasingly sophisticated attacks by Iraqi insurgents cause relief agencies and private contractors to reassess their operations in the country. The International Red Cross, a target of Monday’s attacks, is considering reducing its staff. The United Nations has already reduced its presence, after being struck in an earlier bombing. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

One voter on Wednesday's Palestinian elections will be 31-year-old Abdelhadi "Hadi" Abushahla. We've been following his story since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. Nancy Updike reports on how the election campaign looks from Gaza City and what's at stake for Abushahla and his business.

Severe thunderstorms packing tornadoes and softball-sized hail left a path of destruction across six Midwestern states and Tennessee, killing at least 23 people. Nineteen of the deaths were reported in western Tennessee, including a family of four.

For the first time since 1959, Fidel Castro is not in control of the Cuban government. Raul Castro has temporarily taken control after an announcement Monday night that Fidel Castro was undergoing surgery. Don Gonyea talks to Gary Marx, a reporter in Havana for The Chicago Tribune.

Nicholas Wade, science reporter for The New York Times, examines what we've learned about our human ancestors using the latest techniques in DNA analysis in his new book, Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors.

The U.S. and Japan urge North Korea not to test a long-range missile. Intelligence reports say the North Koreans are pondering just such a launch. But is it just a bluff from the leadership of an isolated nation?

Three Los Angeles artists are trying to create a community around gathering what they call "fallen fruit" -- fruit that falls onto public property from trees planted on private property. Day to Day producer Skye Rohde reports on the effort, and community reaction to picking this fruit.