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At a Pentagon briefing, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the overnight missile strike near Baghdad hit a "senior Iraqi leadership compound." And he says there are reports the Iraqi regime may have set fire to three or four oil wells in southern Iraq. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

In New York, the United Nations appeals to the international community to contribute money for reconstruction efforts in Iraq. But some countries are reluctant to make a long-term financial commitment, saying the United States must first give the international community more decision-making power in postwar Iraq. Hear NPR's Michele Kelemen.

In the latest in a series of deadly assaults on U.S. forces in Iraq, an American soldier is killed and another wounded in a grenade attack on a convoy south of Baghdad. The attack comes hours after an oil pipeline explosion that Iraqi officials blame on sabotage. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

Forensic experts conduct DNA tests on the remains of people killed last week in a U.S. airstrike on an Iraqi convoy. The New York Times and a British newspaper, citing military sources, say U.S. forces believe former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his two sons may have been traveling with the convoy. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

The U.S. administration in Iraq is coming under mounting criticism for the slow pace of its efforts to hand over authority to Iraqis. While U.S. officials focus on plans to establish a grass roots political process in Iraq, many Iraqis demand a greater role in governing the country. NPR's Kate Seelye reports.

In a series of closed hearings, House and Senate committees examine whether U.S. intelligence about possible illegal weapons in Iraq were exaggerated to justify war. Meanwhile, U.S. officials say they expect 20,000 to 30,000 troops from other countries, including the Netherlands, Slovakia, Denmark and the Ukraine, will be in Iraq by August. Hear Dana Priest of The Washington Post and NPR's Michele Kelemen.

Senate lawmakers begin discussions on a bill to add a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program. The plan would pay about a third of the $3,000 a year that the average senior spends on prescription drugs. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

The U.S. military in Iraq launches Operation Desert Scorpion, conducting house-to-house searches and detaining dozens of Iraqis believed to be Baath Party loyalists or members of terrorist organizations. The largest raids occur in Fallujah, where coordinated attacks on American troops have increased in recent weeks. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.

The House and Senate intelligence committees launched hearings this week on the Bush administration's handling of pre-war intelligence on Iraq. But while Democrats call for a probe of whether the White House mishandled intelligence reports, Republicans insist the hearings do not amount to an investigation of wrongdoing. NPR's David Welna reports.

The Department of Homeland Security will award aerospace giant Boeing a contract to provide high-tech methods to catch illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Boeing's "virtual fence" concept includes an estimated 1,800 towers along the border equipped with cameras and motion sensors.