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Investigators looking into the space shuttle Columbia accident say NASA workers made safety a top priority, but may have become so comfortable with successful missions that they didn't keep track of small issues that can turn deadly. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

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.

President Bush's top strategist, Karl Rove, agrees to testify a fourth time before a grand jury investigating the unauthorized release of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to reporters. This time, federal prosecutors will not grant Rove immunity -- which could pave the way for an indictment.

R&B singer Luther Vandross is continuing to recover from the stroke he suffered earlier this year. His latest CD, Dance With My Father, debuted at number one earlier this summer, and remains in the top 10. Writer Sara Bardeen has a review of the CD.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick accepted a plea agreement, stepped down from office and will serve jail time. He pleaded guilty to two felony obstruction charges stemming from a scandal involving a cover-up of an alleged affair with his former top aide.

Diamond has sold 128 million records and written and recorded 37 Top 40 songs. But in the early 1960s, rock historian Ed Ward says, Diamond was writing songs for other musicians while struggling to get his own career off the ground.

Insurgents fire grenades at an Iraqi civil defense facility as Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, visits. Abizaid was not hurt in the attack, which caused no American casualties. The attackers escaped. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and NPR's Eric Westervelt.

One of the top priorities before Congress adjourns for the holidays is a bill that would prevent more than 20 million middle-class Americans from having to pay the alternative minimum tax in 2008. The Senate recently approved a repair to the rule, but neglected to pay for it with spending cuts.

Calling to mind early Radiohead, the Irish band Bell X1 crafts melodic, radio-friendly pop. Flock topped the Irish album charts in 2005, but it's only just been reissued in the U.S., with an ambitious tour to follow. Hear an interview and performance.

Oldham's new Beware sensitively explores new depths of human emotion through a swirl of guitars, vocals and fiddle. With his own brand of heartfelt and softly sung tunes, Oldham once again tops his previous work with an album that's almost frighteningly beautiful.

The top military commander in Iraq has recommended a temporary freeze on U.S. troop reductions in Iraq after July. Gen. David Petraeus made the comments to senators Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Today, Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker return to brief members of the House.

Americans remember The Four Tops for "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)." But Italians may know it by a different name: "Piangono Gli Uomini." A new compilation spotlights the Italian, German, French and Spanish versions of classic R&B songs.

President Bush says it is "vital" that Congress quickly confirm the changes he has made to his national security team. With new commanders and new policies in the works for Iraq, the White House seems to be clearing the decks at home as well, with a number of top-level personnel changes.

After the biggest international opening weekend for any American comedy in history (more than $93 million), the picture is proving to have legs. For two weeks in a row, it has topped foreign box-office charts — trouncing Shrek, Spider-Man, even Harry Potter.

The Senate Banking Committee grills top regulators and several of the nation's largest lenders about problems with sub-prime mortgages — and what regulators did and did not do to address them. About 14 percent of outstanding subprime loans are now delinquent by 30 days or more.

Chefs are using unusual sea salts from around the world to flavor all sorts of food. Debbie Elliott talks to Seattle candymaker Fran Bigelow about her award-winning confection: a chocolate-covered caramel topped with smoked sea salt from Wales.

In the golden age of the circus, aerialist Lillian Leitzel captivated crowds around the world with her effortless, high-flying stunts under the big top. Dean Jensen's new book, Queen of the Air, chronicles Leitzel's difficult but glamorous life, and the lives of her performing family.

The legendary jazz pianist has produced chart-topping and award-winning albums throughout his career. His latest album is an ambitious combination of film and music, full of exciting collaborations. Hear songs from the new album performed live in the WXPN studios of Philadelphia.

Gunmen assassinate a top aide to Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari in Baghdad. But despite such attacks, Iraq's leaders forge ahead with forming a government and drafting a constitution. Over the weekend, Sunnis formed a new political alliance, and a Shiite cleric moved to ease sectarian violence.

Robert Siegel speaks with former top diplomat Thomas Pickering, who led the State Department's investigation into the September 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Pickering's report was criticized by witnesses at this week's congressional oversight hearing about the administration's handling of the attacks.