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Throughout November, hundreds of people are lining up to peer through the telescope at Lowell Observatory in northern Arizona. What they'll see: Mars in close opposition with the Earth. This is the nearest the red planet has been to Earth since 2003. If you miss it this month, you'll have to wait until 2018 for such an incredible view. Sadie Babits has this postcard from the observatory.

For a decade, a local billboard on land along I-65 north of Montgomery, Ala., read: "Go to church or the Devil will get you!" This week, the billboard changed to endorse a political candidate. W.S. Newell, the 84-year-old property owner, tells Scott Simon why he made the change.

Commentator Judy Muller says Americans and their elected officials have ignored the problems of the poor in recent years. But now they're confronted with the overwhelming number of poor residents left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

World leaders gather in New York with the goal of adopting reforms at the United Nations. The General Assembly has approved a document that touches on issues like human rights, world poverty and terrorism. But the document was watered down greatly in negotiations just prior to the summit.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) says the United States needs to get out of Iraq as soon as possible. He has a withdrawal plan, which he outlines in this essay.

A Justice Department statement says recent National Security Agency activities -- such as tapping domestic calls without a warrant -- are vital to the defense of the nation.

With natural gas prices soaring, the Bush administration is encouraging all Americans to conserve. The Department of Energy is working with private sector groups to promote energy efficiency. At the same time, it's also cutting funds for research on energy efficiency.

Steve Inskeep talks to News Analyst Cokie Roberts about President Bush's response to the earthquake in Southeast Asia and the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

Pharmaceutical company Merck will appeal Friday's $253-million jury award in the death of a man who had taken the painkiller Vioxx. But thousands of cases await the company in state and federal court.

More than 1,200 delegates are attending this week's White House Conference on Aging. Past conferences have led to major social change, including the creation of Medicare and Meals on Wheels. We look at what seniors are saying about the president's absence this year and other issues at the conference.