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U.S. soldiers are involved in an operation to hunt down and destroy militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad's Sadr City. In Ramadi, 12 Marines die in intense battles. In Fallujah, U.S. rockets hit a mosque, reportedly killing dozens. Three days of clashes in the Sunni stronghold have killed as many as 30 U.S. soldiers and more than 150 Iraqis. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi says he supports a prominent Shiite cleric's calls for direct elections for an interim authority in Iraq. The cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, wants elections before the transfer of power the U.S. wants to occur on July 1. U.N. officials say elections by that date are unlikely, though they could occur late this year or early next year. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

Issue 2 would make Ohio the 7th state to explicitly ban non-citizens from voting in elections. Ohio’s constitution already says you have to be a citizen to vote, but Yellow Springs tried to let non-citizens vote in local contests.On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the proposed state constitutional amendment on voting that critics call unnecessary. State Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Green Township) joins the show.

The move is the latest in a tit-for-tat between Washington and Moscow triggered by U.S. sanctions on Russia for its interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

A U.S. intelligence official says it was Saddam Hussein, and not a double, who appeared in a taped recording on Iraqi TV shortly after he was targeted by a U.S. air strike. But the official says it is unclear when the tape was made and whether Saddam was harmed. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports.

U.S. forces in Ramadi, Iraq, raid the houses of suspected guerillas, arresting several men and confiscating weapons as part of a campaign to stamp out growing Iraqi resistance to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

A roadside bomb explodes near a U.S. military convoy north of Baghdad, killing an American soldier and his Iraqi interpreter. U.S. military commanders predict Iraqi resistance fighters will step up their attacks in the coming weeks. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

A U.N. team arrives in Baghdad to begin planning for national elections. U.N. experts will make recommendations on who gets to vote and how -- questions of increasing importance as Iraqi officials near the June 30 deadline for the return of sovereignty. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep.

The U.S. offensive against Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah continues, as the insurgency launches attacks elsewhere in the country. U.S. commanders say they control 80 percent of the city, and troops are pushing southward through the city amid frequent firefights. NPR's Anne Garrels reports.

Francis has a full schedule, which includes a meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana and President Obama in Washington, D.C., where he will also address a joint meeting of Congress.