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A technology called adaptive optics is enabling astronomers to peer into space as never before. The specialized telescopes, which have mirrors that can adjust their shapes up to 1,000 times per second, compensate for the blurring that happens when light passes through Earth's atmosphere.

For some, it's a symbol of America's might. For others, it's a frightening weapon of warfare. For many target-shooting hobbyists, it's "the Mr. Potato Head of firearms" — customizable to fit each individual. And it's all part of what is now a nearly billion-dollar business in military-style weapons.

Brazil's government has been caught by surprise by the size and scale of recent protests. But analysts say they shouldn't have been. In a connected world, what happens in one part of it — say Turkey — can inspire social movements as far away as Brazil.

After more than three weeks of anti-government protests, Turkey's leaders insist they will restore order and quickly bounce back from any damage to the country's economy or image abroad. The crisis comes at a delicate time for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He is in the midst of a fragile peace initiative with the Kurdish minority, dealing with an escalating war next door in Syria, and trying to convince parliament to strengthen the office of the president, which he is expected to run for as his final term as prime minister winds down.

The former South African president, an icon of the anti-apartheid movement, remains in critical condition at a Pretoria hospital. He is being treated for a recurring respiratory infection. Mandela is 94.

NSA surveillance leaker Edward Snowden left Hong Kong over the weekend and is seeking asylum in Ecuador. He spent the night in Moscow where Ecuadorean authorities met him at the airport. For more on Russia's role in this journey, and the role of WikiLeaks, David Greene talks to Kathy Lally, Moscow bureau chief of The Washington Post.

The court's term is set to end this week. But the justices still haven't issued rulings on cases involving same-sex marriage and voting rights.

In a 7-1 decision, the justices ruled a lower court had not applied the right standards when it upheld a University of Texas program. It said that court needs to put the Texas program through "strict scrutiny," and had not done that.

The Supreme Court has sent a high-profile affirmation action case back to the lower courts. The case, Fisher v. University of Texas, concerned the admissions policy at the University of Texas, which uses race as one factor for some slots.

Renee Montange speaks with NPR's Dina Temple-Raston for an update on the whereabouts of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, and the involvement of WikiLeaks.