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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.

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.

A day after the White House released a briefing document on the al Qaeda threat that President George Bush received a month before the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush says the brief lacked "actionable intelligence." Security experts say the paper leads them to question the Bush administration's judgment of the information. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports.

Critics of a federal law that denies federal student aid to anyone convicted of a drug offense push for the alteration or revocation of the 1998 measure. The law's opponents -- including its writer, Rep. Mark Souder, say it unfairly penalizes students for past drug use and treats marijuana possession more harshly than murder. NPR's Anthony Brooks reports.

In a joint news conference at the White House Friday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush reaffirm their commitment to "stay the course" in Iraq. Bush affirms that he will invite the United Nations take the lead in guiding Iraq's transition to self-rule, scheduled to begin June 30. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

He is the author of Wild Grass: Three Stories of Change in Modern China. In the book, he chronicles the stories of three ordinary Chinese citizens who fought government oppression. They each fought locally but brought about national change. Johnson says economic reforms have created a space for dissent in Chinese culture. Johnson is the Berlin bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal. In 2001, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Falun Gong.

The Senate Rules Committee holds hearings on independent groups that run hard-hitting political ads in hopes of influencing voter sentiment in so-called "battleground" states this election season. Lawmakers from both parties are seeking to outlaw the groups, which are unfettered by restrictions placed on candidates and political parties. NPR's Peter Overby reports.

Concern over lost U.S. jobs and corporate "outsourcing" is prompting lawmakers on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures to propose laws to discourage companies from sending work overseas. But a group of about 200 well-financed trade groups has formed a new coalition to try to keep these bills from ever becoming law. NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports.

Spain's new leader reiterates his pledge to withdraw troops from Iraq, saying Tomahawk missiles and bombs are not the way to defeat terrorism. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose Socialist Party defeated Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's ruling Popular Party in Sunday's elections, repeated his claim that the occupation of Iraq is a fiasco. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports.

A California federal grand jury hands down a 42-count indictment against four men who allegedly ran an illegal steroid-distribution network. The men include the founder of BALCO, a controversial San Francisco laboratory, and the personal trainer for baseball superstar Barry Bonds. Crusaders against doping in sports praise the action. NPR's Tom Goldman reports.