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As looting and lawlessness continue in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, U.S. forces call on former policemen to return to their jobs. Days of looting have left the population feeling scared and vulnerable, leading some residents to take the law into their own hands. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

U.S. humanitarian groups seeking to send food, water and medicine to Iraq step up fundraising campaigns after finding mixed results in gathering donations so far. Aid groups say clean water is the priority -- and they're encouraged by a relatively low number of refugees. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.

U.S. forces consolidate their hold over Baghdad, but continue to engage in sporadic clashes with forces loyal to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. At least one Marine is reported killed and almost 20 wounded after a three-hour battle to seize a presidential palace. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels.

The Bush administration says the war in Iraq has cost $20 billion already, and will require another $20 billion over the next five months. The Pentagon cautions there are variables in the long-term costs. Even so, the estimate is less than private analysts and economists had predicted. NPR's Jack Speer reports.

Efforts to gather a new goverment are under way in Iraq, but the process is slowed by the diversity of competing interests. Shia leaders were absent from a meeting in Nasiriyah this week, saying they wouldn't take part in talks led by the U.S. military. Hear NPR's Linda Wertheimer and NPR's Mike Shuster.

Canadian health officials take steps to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, after 13 deaths and more than 300 probable cases. In Toronto, churches are being asked to alter centuries-old rituals beginning with Easter weekend services. NPR's Vicky Que reports.

Scientists with the World Health Organization release a new study that suggests that the SARS virus can live outside a person's body for several days. The study finds that the virus stayed alive on a piece of plastic for 24 to 48 hours, indicating the disease may be contracted by touching a contaminated surface. Hear NPR's Eric Niiler.

A mass grave filled with the remains of dozens of people, some with blindfolds and hands bound, is discovered in a southern Iraqi town near Najaf. The bodies are believed to be those of Iraqis executed in a 1991 Shiite Muslim uprising. Red Crescent workers say they believe more graves will be found in the area. Hear Reuters reporter Christine Hauser.

The United States, Britain and Spain will present the U.N. Security Council with a draft resolution Friday calling for the immediate end to sanctions on Iraq. The resolution also describes a role for the United Nations in rebuilding Iraq and creates an international advisory board to monitor Iraq's oil contracts. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.

A new survey says most Americans think high-income people don't pay their fair share of taxes. Yet most Americans also want the government to dump a tax paid almost entirely by the wealthy: the estate tax. These findings are in a poll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Kennedy School of Government. NPR's John Ydstie reports.