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North Korea says it has reactivated its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon. The country says it needs the reactor to produce electricity, but U.S. officials fear the plant could be used for the production of nuclear weapons. NPR's Rob Gifford reports.

A panel of former NASA engineers and military officials prepares to take over the Columbia investigation. More than a week after the space shuttle broke apart upon re-entry, NASA says it has no clear answers. NPR's Jon Hamilton reports.

A panel of former NASA engineers and military officials prepares to take over the Columbia investigation. More than a week after the space shuttle broke apart upon re-entry, NASA says it has no clear answers. NPR's Eric Niiler reports.

At a security conference in Munich, Germany, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld argues that the world must prepare for military action against Saddam Hussein. But he fails to convince France and Germany. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten, Robert Kagan of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations.

NASA officials expand the search for debris from the space shuttle Columbia in an effort to learn more about what caused the vehicle to break apart upon re-entry Feb. 1. At a memorial service in Houston, President Bush pays tribute to the seven astronauts who died. Hear NPR's Joe Palca and NPR's Wade Goodwyn.

More space shuttle Columbia fragments and human remains are discovered Monday, yet little new information is learned about the cause of Saturday's disaster. Meanwhile, critics express concern over whether NASA's budget cuts and use of contractors may have compromised safety. Hear reports from NPR's Richard Harris, NPR's Howard Berkes and NPR's Chris Joyce.

NASA officials back away from the theory that a piece of foam insulation, dislodged during Columbia's liftoff, caused the space shuttle's disintegration upon re-entry Feb. 1. As NASA continues its probe, engineers draw on risk assessments done after the 1986 Challenger explosion. Hear NPR's Richard Harris and NPR's Christopher Joyce.

Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, seeking congressional support for a possible war with Iraq. Powell's testimony comes a day after he presents the U.N. Security Council with a report detailing evidence against Iraq. NPR's Bob Edwards and NPR's Michele Kelemen.

Tom Ridge is sworn in as the first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Ridge begins his job amid complaints that homeland security remains underfunded, and that the government has done too little to secure the nation since Sept. 11. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

Smallpox vaccinations begin today for medical workers in several states and Los Angeles County. The government's goal is the inoculation of 450,000 health workers against a bioterrorism attack with smallpox. But some are resisting vaccination out of safety and legal liability fears. NPR's Richard Knox reports.