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NPR's Robert Siegel takes note of some of the celebrations around the country today commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

NPR's David Molpus reports on the job of figuring the financial cost of a U.S. strike on Iraq. Estimates run from a billion a week -- even without any fighting -- to $25 billion a year for a post-war occupation of Iraq. The Congressional Budget Office's estimate ranges from $40 billion to $200 billion. Some say the U.S. needs the war to lower oil prices and revive the stock market. Others say the consideration should be how effective a strike would be on the war on terrorism.

As U.S. armed forces rapidly gear up for a possible war with Iraq, problems with homeland security emerge. Some worry about the shortage of qualified first responders, as many local firefighters, EMTs, and police officers are also military reservists who could be called to active duty. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

Last week, the White House asked the Supreme Court to declare the University of Michigan's affirmative action admissions policies unconstitutional. Host Bob Edwards talks with Jacques Steinberg, New York Times education reporter, about the administration's decision and how it will affect schools that are trying to ensure racial diversity through admission.

Host Bob Edwards describes a recent International Trade Court ruling over whether the X-Men -- a group of mutant superheroes -- are human.

U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton arrives in South Korea for talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Bolton says the United States will aim to get the United Nations involved in the issue. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.

Host Bob Edwards talks with cartoonist, writer and playwright Jules Feiffer about the late Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld was famous for his "Nina" caricatures of celebrities and Broadway shows. He died in his sleep yesterday at age 99.

In New Orleans, opening arguments begin in a class-action lawsuit aimed at making the tobacco industry help smokers quit. About 3 million smokers -- some of whom are not ill -- are seeking funding for medical monitoring, but the industry says it should not be held responsible for those who ignore warning labels. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports.

The United States lost nearly one million manufacturing jobs in 2002, but the foreign-car industry continues to grow. The boom of foreign automakers in the South has brought prosperity to the region and introduced a new workplace culture. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

Host Lynn Neary talks with Jake Burton, owner of the Burton Snowboard Company about Craig Kelly, a champion snowboarder who was among those killed in an avalanche in British Columbia this week. Kelly was a pioneer snowboarder and four-time world champ. Many consider him the best snowboarder of all time.