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Testifying before a judicial inquiry, top British intelligence official John Scarlett denies that his office was pressured by Prime Minister Tony Blair's staff to exaggerate evidence showing that Iraq posed an imminent threat to Britain. New polls suggest 67 percent of Britons believe Blair misled the public about the Iraqi threat. Hear NPR's Guy Raz.

Top officials from the Bush and Clinton administrations tell the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks that they had no specific intelligence before the attacks suggesting terrorists might hijack airliners and crash them into the World Trade Center. But last year, Congress published a report saying a number of warnings detailing the attacks were ignored. Hear NPR's Danny Zwerdling.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry, has named a search committee to vet his short list of potential running mates. But choosing a vice presidential candidate isn't easy, and history is full of selections that didn't turn out the way the top of the ticket intended. Hear NPR's Mara Liasson.

President Bush insists that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will stay in his cabinet despite revelations of Iraqi prisoner abuse at the hands of U.S. troops. Top Democrats are calling for Rumsfeld to resign. The defense secretary is to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee Friday. Hear NPR's Don Gonyea, NPR's Michele Norris and Sen. Jeff Sessions.

Dutch architect and Pritzker Prize laureate Rem Koolhaas's first U.S. project opens to the public Saturday in Chicago. The student center at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) campus has bright orange glass and a stainless steel tube on top that the Chicago elevated train passes through. Edward Lifson of Chicago Public Radio reports.

Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ has astonished Hollywood by recording blockbuster ticket sales. The Passion remains the nation's top film for a second straight weekend, taking in $53.2 million. In the 12 days since its release, the film has earned a total of $213.9 million. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

HBO ran over the competition at last night's Emmy Awards, taking 16 awards. The cable channel's Angels in America, a mini-series about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, took seven honors. The Sopranos won for best drama. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelsey Grammer took top comedy acting honors.

Internet toy seller E-Toys was supposed to be one of the e-commerce companies with a shot at becoming a retail powerhouse. It had a top-rated Web site, a vast selection of high-end toys and excellent customer service. But as NPR's Elaine Korry reports, E-Toys is having a miserable holiday season. Sales are running way below expectations, cash is running short, and the company is unlikely to survive without a merger or a major sell-off of assets.

Bluesy Blind Pig Records has now been around 25 years -- a long life span for an independent. It grew from a basement operation in Michigan to one of music's top specialty labels. Hear from NPR's John Ydstie, Blind Pig co-founder Edward Chmelewski and singer Deborah Coleman.

Pianist and Singer Hadda Brooks, known as "Queen of the Boogie," died last week at the age of 86. Brooks rose to fame in 1945 with the song, "Swingin' the Boogie." The song also helped launch the top West Coast rhythm and blues label, Modern Records. NPR's Bob Edwards has a remembrance.