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Testifying before a Senate panel, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Meyers say more money is essential for military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lawmakers question the administration's request for $87 billion and say it is a "bitter pill to swallow." Hear NPR's David Welna.

In Fallujah, Iraq, crowds angry over a U.S. "friendly fire" incident that killed at least nine people stage angry protests. Meanwhile, in Najaf, the U.S. military seeks to rein in militia force loyal to the slain Shiite cleric Ayatollah Hakim. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

The panel investigating the Columbia disaster releases its final report on what caused the space shuttle to break up Feb. 1. The report confirms the theory that foam debris from the shuttle's fuel tank severely damaged the craft during liftoff. But it lays the ultimate blame on mismanagement at NASA, citing organizational and cultural shortcomings. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.

A massive truck bomb rips through a Baghdad hotel that served as the headquarters of the U.N. mission to Iraq. At least 20 people are killed, including U.N. special representative to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello. More than 100 people are wounded. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says he is making changes in the agency that could provide thousands of additional federal air marshals and improve security at the nation's borders. The changes involve reshuffling some of the department's 180,000 employees and working more closely with state and local governments. Hear NPR's Pam Fessler.

A year ago Saturday, President Bush stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared an end to major combat in Iraq. But renewed fighting has forced the president to reframe that message, and opponents of the administration's policy on Iraq have become increasingly vocal in the Senate. NPR's David Welna reports.

California's fire season begins with two wildfires raging in Southern California, where more than 4,000 homes have been evacuated. Experts predict an especially harsh summer because warm weather in April caused an early snow melt. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Rick Ochoa, manager of the National Fire Weather program.

China's booming economic growth has sparked a tremendous need for raw materials like cooper, steel and scrap metal. China must import this material, and prices have shot up. U.S. companies are having financial difficulties competing with China in the scrap-metal market. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators meet for a rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in a show of support for abortion rights. The event, dubbed the March for Women's Lives, caps a weekend of rallies in the capital. Other issues raised included universal access to health care and same-sex marriage. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, refuses to apologize for calling his Republican opposition "crooked." Kerry took part in the Senate's budget debate Thursday and met with House Democrats eager to boost his candidacy. Congressional Republicans repeated calls for Kerry to retract his remarks. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.