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Pakistani troops continue to battle with al Qaeda and tribal leaders along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani officials say they believe a top deputy of Osama bin Laden, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri, is trapped there. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and New York Times reporter David Rohde.

Military officials deny that the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, knew about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in American custody. Reports in The Washington Post described prospective testimony that would place Sanchez as a witness of some abuses. The story brought stern denials from the Pentagon. Hear NPR's Libby Lewis.

CIA director Michael Hayden says the agency destroyed videotapes of its interrogations of two top al Qaida suspects, made in 2002. Philip Zelikow, executive director of the 9/11 Commission, had hoped to review the tapes.

The top two Democrats in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, unveil what they called a "pre-buttal" in advance of President Bush's State of the Union address, which will be given Wednesday evening.

A new study ranks 64 of America's largest cities by their commitment to literacy. Minneapolis, Seattle and Denver top the list, which was compiled based on the availability and number of booksellers, quality of libraries, educational level of the population, number of periodicals published and newspaper circulation. Hear the study's author, John Miller.

The Senate votes of 53-45 to approve former Alabama Attorney General William Pryor's nomination to a lifetime seat on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Republicans hailed Pryor as a top-notch public servant, even as many Democrats described him as a right-wing extremist.

The top U.S. arms inspector contradicts the Bush administration's pre-war claims that Iraq had WMDs. After a 16-month investigation, Charles Duelfer concluded Saddam Hussein did not have the weapons but aspired to build them.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been charged on eight counts, including perjury, after explicit text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide. Kilpatrick refuses to step down and says he expects to be exonerated. Detroit Public Radio's Noah Ovshinsky reports.

For the fifth week in a row, Swift's The Tortured Poets Department was the best-selling album in the country. Post Malone and Wallen's "I Had Some Help" repeated as the top song.

The remarks mark a turn of fortunes for Democrats who were confronted with a lack of voter enthusiasm and flagging poll numbers when President Biden was at the top of the ticket.