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The White House goes on the offensive to sell its plan to rebuild Iraq. In speeches given within days of one another, President Bush, Vice President Cheney and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice all emphasized the necessity of deposing Saddam Hussein and the progress being made in postwar Iraq. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Fiscal 2007 may seem like a long way off. But carrying out a February ritual, President Bush sent his proposed budget for next year to Congress on Monday. NPR reporters analyze the budget in key areas like military and health care spending.

A Pentagon task force investigating possible religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy reports shortcomings, but no intentional discrimination based on religion. Cadets have complained of pressure to attend chapel and join prayer groups.

Since anthrax spores sent through the mail killed five people in late 2001, the federal government has boosted spending on biodefense research and pending by billions of dollars. But some experts wonder if this isn't overkill, and whether some new efforts are doing more harm than good. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.

As President Bush considers ways to reform the Social Security system, he's said to be considering a plan that would reduce benefits for retirees. Many people on both sides of the Social Security debate believe the administration is seriously considering indexing benefits according to inflation rates rather than current prevailing wages. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

Only 25 percent of the medium and heavy military trucks hauling fuel, supplies, etc. along Iraq's dangerous highways have armor protection. The military is working to remedy this using steel plates, but the weight of the plating can slow down trucks, making them an easier target. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.

One week after a tsunami killed tens of thousands in coastal areas of Indonesia's northern Aceh province, relief workers are only beginning to make headway. The scale of the disaster, and the need for aid, is staggering -- there are no vehicles to carrying needed supplies, and aid workers fear mass starvation if food supplies aren't distributed in the next several days. NPR's Adam Davidson reports.

Earlier this month, President Bush appointed Kansas City, Mo. attorney Gerald Reynolds to take over as chairperson of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The advisory panel had been led for more than half its 47-year existence by Mary Frances Berry, an activist who became a polarizing figure. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

The new multi-million-dollar headquarters of jazz at New York City's Lincoln Center opens Monday night. Artistic director Wynton Marsalis calls it the "house of swing." But some question whether vast concert halls will encourage the same creativity that once sprung from smoky jazz joints. Howard Mandel reports.

North Carolina is home to some 4,000 Vietnamese Montagnard refugees. For most of the recent arrivals, this Christmas will be their first chance to celebrate openly. Hear reporter Jessica Jones of member station WUNC.