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U.S. Arrests 7 Accused of Chicago Bomb Plot

Agents in Miami have arrested seven men who are indicted on terrorism charges. The seven are accused of conspiring to provide support to al-Qaida and planning to bomb the Sears Tower in Chicago, along with some government buildings in Miami.

The men apparently were never in actual communication with al-Qaida; they were dealing with an undercover agent pretending to represent the terrorist group.

The government is describing the threat as "aspirational rather than operational." The Justice Department says that Miami and Chicago face no immediate threat.

While two of the suspects are Haitians, five are U.S.-born, prompting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to call the threat "home-grown." He added that the Justice Department is trying to control such groups before they become more serious threats.

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Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. During his first two years on the program, listenership to All Things Considered grew at an unprecedented rate, with more people tuning in during a typical quarter-hour than any other program on the radio.