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Three British troops are killed and another is seriously wounded after coming under small arms fire in Basra, in southern Iraq. Basra is largely populated by Shia who were oppressed by the Saddam Hussein regime and has been relatively calm. But U.S. officials say Saddam loyalists and foreign fighters are moving further south of Baghdad. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels.

NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks with Kanan Makiya, author of Republic of Fear about what it will take to write a new Iraqi constitution.

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.

U.S. officials criticize the Arab media for what they call biased and inaccurate reporting meant to incite violence against U.S. troops. And some Iraqis support the claim, accusing Arab satellite networks of romanticizing Saddam Hussein and of stirring up anti-American sentiment. Arab media directors defend their coverage. Hear NPR's Kate Seelye.

Occupying Iraq is costing the United States nearly $4 billion a month, but nearly one-third of that total is going to private contractors. The largest beneficiary is Halliburton, the company once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney. The Pentagon has expanded civilian contracts as reconstruction demands escalate in Iraq. NPR's Kathy Schalch reports.

A U.S. soldier is killed in a roadside bombing in Fallujah and another dies in an ambush on a military convoy in Baghdad. As attacks in Iraq continue, U.S.-led forces announce plans to put 28,000 new Iraqi police recruits through intensive training at a U.S. base in Hungary. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

Outfielders carry lifelong memories of how their first gloves smelled and felt. Catchers swear by their favorite glove model. On Morning Edition, NPR's Bob Edwards talks to Noah Liberman, the author of Glove Affairs, a book tracing the history and tradition of baseball players' favorite piece of equipment. Read an excerpt, hear interviews and see photos of players and their gloves.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports on the complex system of water rights. Most of these claims date back more than a century. Individuals holding the oldest rights have the best chance of getting the most water.

The Bush administration is expected to ask Congress for a significant increase in funds for the reconstruction of Iraq. U.S. Iraq administrator Paul Bremer says he is seeking another $3 billion. Members of Congress say the initial $2.5 billion supplemental appropriation for Iraq is all but spent. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

From shrunken heads to items literally too hot to handle, many museums collect items of note, but choose not to display them. Harriet Baskas takes a look around the back rooms of some of the nation's most prominent museums to see what they're not showing the public.