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Two weeks after the death of Pope John Paul II, the process of electing a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church formally begins. The public was invited to Monday morning's Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. But the actual conclave, meeting in the Sistine Chapel, is shrouded in secrecy.

Ben Berman lost his job as an airline pilot shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. Three and a half years later, Berman returns to work behind the controls of a Continental 737.

Renee Montagne talks with Afghanistan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. He is in Washington with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who met with President Bush earlier this week. Abdullah discusses prisoner abuse in Afghanistan, recent anti-American protests and ongoing tensions in U.S.-Afghan relations.

Writer and producer Chappy Hardy is on a mission to eat his way across the southern United States, measuring the places he dines by delectability and cost-per-bite. He speaks with Scott Simon from Lil' Dizzy's, a restaurant outside the French Quarter in New Orleans.

NPR's Noah Adams talks with Slate contributor Will Saletan about the growing popularity of LASIK laser vision surgery among athletes. Saletan offers his thoughts about whether performance-enhancing surgery for athletes should be wrapped into the debate over the use of steroids.

The Catholic Church has a new pope. Former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was elected Tuesday to be the new leader of the world's 1 billion Catholics. Neal Conan talks with guests and takes listener calls about Pope Benedict XVI and what challenges lie ahead for him.

A Texas court has ordered the drug company Merck to pay $250 million to the widow of a man who took the prescription pain-killer Vioxx and later died of a heart attack. The company faces thousands of other lawsuits connected to the drug. Madeleine Brand speaks with Slate legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick about how the pharmaceutical giant could handle potential new legal battles.

An independent commission votes Wednesday on a list of military bases slated for closure. Anthony Principi, chairman of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission, talks about striking a balance between saving tax dollars and maintaining military preparedness.

Williamstown Theatre Festival in western Massachusetts offers a summer program that has been called "theater boot camp." British-trained actor Roger Rees is the company's new artistic director.

In Seoul, three stories above street level, a cafe caters both to people and to dogs. As the human clientele sip drinks and slurp noodles, the canine clientele eat dog food and just about anything else.