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California's fire season begins with two wildfires raging in Southern California, where more than 4,000 homes have been evacuated. Experts predict an especially harsh summer because warm weather in April caused an early snow melt. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Rick Ochoa, manager of the National Fire Weather program.

China's booming economic growth has sparked a tremendous need for raw materials like cooper, steel and scrap metal. China must import this material, and prices have shot up. U.S. companies are having financial difficulties competing with China in the scrap-metal market. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators meet for a rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in a show of support for abortion rights. The event, dubbed the March for Women's Lives, caps a weekend of rallies in the capital. Other issues raised included universal access to health care and same-sex marriage. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, refuses to apologize for calling his Republican opposition "crooked." Kerry took part in the Senate's budget debate Thursday and met with House Democrats eager to boost his candidacy. Congressional Republicans repeated calls for Kerry to retract his remarks. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq says the insurgency is increasingly targeting civilians in what may be a strategic shift in tactics. Over the past week, eight American and European civilian aid workers were killed in three separate ambushes. Attacks against Iraqis working with the U.S.-led occupation have also become common. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

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.

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr moves into Najaf in southern Iraq Tuesday, surrounded by supporters. In a statement, Sadr promised more violence unless U.S. troops pull out of populated areas and release all Iraqi prisoners. American officials have branded Sadr an outlaw. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards kicks off a three-day tour in delegate-rich California to garner support for the March 2 round of 10 Democratic presidential contests. Edwards courts new backing by lavishing praise on his one-time competitor for the nomination, former Vermont governor Howard Dean. NPR's John McChesney reports.

Democratic frontrunner Sen. John Kerry is declared the winner in Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts, leading to talk that rival candidate Sen. John Edwards will bow out of contention for the Democratic party's presidential nomination. Edwards credits Kerry with running a strong campaign as he thanks his supporters during a speech at his campaign headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Return of the King, the final installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, wins all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated, including best picture and best director. Best acting honors go to Charlize Theron for her transformation into a serial killer in Monster, and Sean Penn for his performance as the troubled father of a murdered child in Mystic River. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne.