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Pakistani troops continue to battle with al Qaeda and tribal leaders along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani officials say they believe a top deputy of Osama bin Laden, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri, is trapped there. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and New York Times reporter David Rohde.

Military officials deny that the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, knew about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in American custody. Reports in The Washington Post described prospective testimony that would place Sanchez as a witness of some abuses. The story brought stern denials from the Pentagon. Hear NPR's Libby Lewis.

Farenheit 9/11, director Michael Moore's scathing depiction of the Bush administration's response to the Sept. 11 attacks, opens in U.S. theaters Friday. The controversial film won the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

Barack Obama is basking in the glow of his victory in South Carolina. Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving examines how important that primary really is and what Hillary Clinton needs to do to come out on top.

Numerous levees have already failed to hold back floodwaters in parts of the Midwest this week. The federal government says many more are likely to be topped. Engineering experts agree the nation's levee system needs a second look. Adriene Hill of Chicago Public Radio reports.

Updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is one of Congress's top priorities in 2008. FISA, as the law is known, generally tells the president that he must have a court order to spy on Americans in the United States.

NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports George W. Bush says he's making education his top priority when he takes office. He has an advantage. Congress just approved the single largest increase in educational funds. Now, Bush's plan is to give states a block sum in the form of grants and each state can deem best how to use it.

- Daniel speaks with investigative reporter Scott Armstrong about the nature of FBI background checks. The FBI has over 3 million files on a wide range of people from top presidential aides to low level workers who have access to certain government offices. Armstrong argues that the creation of these files is a waste of money and time, particularly considering that very little relevant information is uncovered by background checks.

President Clinton urged what he called a "spirit of reconciliation" today in a speech at a prayer breakfast at the White House. As NPR's Mara Liasson reports, Mr. Clinton called on Americans to heal divisions caused by politics, race and other factors. The president said his top priorities for his second term are education, welfare, family values, the economy and foreign policy.

The annual meeting usually lets the leaders of the seven largest free market democracies discuss their economic policies, but the truck bombing in Saudi Arabia has pushed terrorism to the top of their agenda.