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An uneasy calm returns to the southern Iraqi city of Basra after weekend rioting sparked by chronic gasoline and electricity shortages. For two days, Iraqi protesters set fire to vehicles and threw stones at British soldiers. At least one person was killed and three others were wounded in the unrest. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

A new study ranks 64 of America's largest cities by their commitment to literacy. Minneapolis, Seattle and Denver top the list, which was compiled based on the availability and number of booksellers, quality of libraries, educational level of the population, number of periodicals published and newspaper circulation. Hear the study's author, John Miller.

U.S. soldiers consolidate their hold on the international airport outside Baghdad, with reinforcements on the way. The airport is likely to serve as an important strategic base as commanders consider whether to cut through the city or to surround it. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

Opinion polls show that roughly 70 percent of Americans support the war with Iraq. African-Americans, however, have been more reluctant. One poll shows blacks evenly divided, while another shows a substantial majority opposed. NPR's Ina Jaffe reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to discuss postwar arrangements in Iraq. The three leaders are expected to urge the United Nations to lead Iraq's reconstruction. Hear NPR's Lawrence Sheets.

U.S. forces seek to remain focused on the military mission in Iraq as looting and lawlessness plague Baghdad and other cities abandoned by Saddam Hussein's government and security forces. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Baghdad.

Much of Iraq is now under U.S. and British military control, yet officials warn that more fighting likely awaits. They anticipate a spirited defense of Tikrit -- Saddam Hussein's hometown. Meanwhile, American military commanders are distributing a list of 55 "most wanted" regime leaders. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

After days of looting and lawlessness in Baghdad, disorder in the Iraqi capital slowly subsides. Iraqi policemen volunteer to participate in joint patrols with U.S. soldiers. And buses and taxis return to the streets, though most stores remain closed. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

U.S. civilian administrator Jay Garner expects an interim government to be running Iraq by the middle of May. The country holds its first election in the northern city of Mosul, where tribal and ethnic leaders elect a local city council and mayor who will run the city alongside the U.S. military. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

Few basic services have been restored to Iraq despite vigorous U.S. efforts to repair damage from the war and the years of economic sanctions that preceded the conflict. Normal life may be a year or more away. Hear NPR's Linda Wertheimer and Lt. Col. Sam Gardiner, retired.