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NPR's Steve Inskeep reports on the festivities at the Kurdish New Year celebrations in northern Iraq. They celebrated not only the new year, but an improved economy and the greater freedom they have under Iraq's interim constitution.

The state of the U.S. economy has emerged as the single most important issue among U.S. voters, and the level of job growth in the coming months could help determine whether President Bush is re-elected. But economists disagree over how much influence presidents really have over the economy. Hear NPR's Scott Horsley.

In the new book Against All Enemies, Richard Clarke -- President Bush's former counter-terrorism coordinator -- says the president disregarded his warnings about the threat posed by al Qaeda prior to the Sept. 11 attacks, and tried to push a link to Iraq immediately after. Senior Bush administration officials vigorously deny the allegations. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and NPR News Analyst Cokie Roberts.

The national commission examining U.S. counter-terrorism policy prior to the Sept. 11 attacks hears from defense secretaries and secretaries of state from the Clinton and current Bush administrations. The commission's preliminary report says both administrations relied primarily on diplomacy, rather than military force, to counter al Qaeda. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and NPR's Pam Fessler.

The Ohio congressman faces an uphill fight in the general election, as the state has trended more Republican in recent years.

Vice President Harris said in a speech Tuesday night that women's rights are under attack as the Supreme Court appears ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a leaked draft opinion.

Legislators in Massachusetts give preliminary approval to an amendment to the state constitution that would ban gay marriage and legalize civil unions similar to those available in Vermont. The plan faces additional hurdles, including a state referendum in the fall of 2006. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and NPR's Tovia Smith.

U.S. military officials say American Marines will go into Fallujah, Iraq, "sooner rather than later" in response to the deaths of four U.S. security contractors. U.S. forces are studying tapes of the televised incident to identify those responsible. NPR's Philip Reeves reports on the latest developments from Iraq.

As reports show the U.S. economy added 308,000 jobs in March, Republicans on Capitol Hill generally claim the numbers vindicate the GOP's tax policies. Democrats have conflicting reactions: relief that Americans are finding jobs, but criticism that job production is still not good enough. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

U.S. administrator for Iraq Paul Bremer declares militant Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr an "outlaw" and says the U.S.-led coalition is determined to restore law and order to Baghdad and other restive Iraqi cities. On Sunday, al-Sadr called for anti-American protests that turned violent in several cities, killing dozens of Iraqis, eight U.S. servicemen and a Salvadoran soldier. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Author J.D. Vance emerged from a crowded Republican primary in Ohio, and now becomes the favorite in the general election in the GOP-leaning state.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell urges NATO forces to play a formal role in Iraq following the scheduled transfer of power to an interim government on June 30. Powell also says the Bush administration will seek a new U.N. Security Council resolution to support the power transfer, and also approve a U.S. military presence in Iraq after power is handed over. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan outlines his plans to investigate charges of corruption in the now-defunct U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq. Members of Iraq's Governing Council say that officials both inside and outside of Iraq siphoned money from the program. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.

Gunmen ambush U.S. Marines on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, sparking an hours-long gun battle. At least one Marine is reported killed, and several wounded. The city is a hotbed of anti-American sentiment and a stronghold for Saddam Hussein loyalists. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

As pilgrims gather in Karbala for the Shiite Muslim holiday al-Arbaeen, militants loyal to firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr take control of the streets. U.S.-led forces have yet to reassert control. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and NPR's Anne Garrels.

Jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas releases Strange Liberation, a CD of original compositions played by his quintet. The 40-year-old Douglas is joined on the record by Bill Frisell, the well-traveled guitarist who has worked with Brian Eno and Elvis Costello. Tom Moon has a review.

Troops from the First Marine Division blockading the Iraqi town of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, conduct several raids into the city, supported by air strikes. U.S.-led forces captured a number of Iraqi insurgents and at least two Sudanese suspected of helping the insurgents manufacture explosives. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and reporter Eric Niiler of member station KPBS in San Diego.

Air America, the new commercial liberal talk radio network, has been on the air for a little more than a week now. Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine -- the premier trade publication of the commercial talk radio industry -- reviews the network's performance.

A study published this week in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that frequent sexual activity does not increase the risk of prostate cancer as some studies have suggested, and may even be protective. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

NPR's Melissa Block talks with Ed McDonald, director of exhibit projects at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, about moving a 252-foot long, 700-ton German submarine to its new home in an underground exhibit hall. The U-505 submarine was captured during World War II off the coast of Africa and has for years been resting outside the museum. McDonald describes how they will move the boat to its new home 1,000 feet away and 42 feet below ground.

For five decades, Dave Frishberg has been crafting deftly worded, wry songs that harken back to the golden age of the musical. The jazz composer says he learned the art of musical wit from Broadway legend Frank Loesser. For Intersections, a series on artists' influences, NPR's Ketzel Levine reports.

Members of the commission investigating U.S. counter-terrorism efforts grill CIA director George Tenet and FBI director Robert Mueller about their agencies' efforts to prevent more attacks like those of Sept. 11, 2001. Wednesday's hearings also touched on the creation of a single agency containing domestic and international units. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.

The U.S. faces a very difficult military and political outlook as it prepares to meet a June 30 deadline for transferring power in Iraq, two former U.S. Army generals say. NPR's Bob Edwards discusses the situation with Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey and Retired Lt. Gen. William Odom. Hear the extended interview.

Singer Mari Anne Jayme and trumpeters Marlon Winder and Matt White are among a group of promising young musicians invited to Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Started by the late jazz singer in 1993, the annual event offers workshops and coaching for emerging artists. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.

The National Council on the Aging says that a growing segment of senior citizens are taking out what's called a reverse mortgage in order to remain at home. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.