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The Senate launches an investigation into whether intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was manipulated to press the case for war. And in London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair faces an inquiry from the House of Commons into whether his administrator doctored a dossier presented as evidence against Saddam Hussein. Hear Michigan Democrat Carl Levin of the Senate Armed Services Committee and NPR's Guy Raz.

The Pentagon says some U.S. naval forces will leave the Persian Gulf, now that the air war in Iraq is winding down. The battle groups associated with the aircraft carriers USS Constellation and USS Kitty Hawk are expected to depart within days. The USS Nimitz battle group will remain. NPR's Eric Niiler reports.

Scientists with the World Health Organization release a new study that suggests that the SARS virus can live outside a person's body for several days. The study finds that the virus stayed alive on a piece of plastic for 24 to 48 hours, indicating the disease may be contracted by touching a contaminated surface. Hear NPR's Eric Niiler.

A mass grave filled with the remains of dozens of people, some with blindfolds and hands bound, is discovered in a southern Iraqi town near Najaf. The bodies are believed to be those of Iraqis executed in a 1991 Shiite Muslim uprising. Red Crescent workers say they believe more graves will be found in the area. Hear Reuters reporter Christine Hauser.

A massive explosion rocks central Baghdad. Meanwhile, U.S. fighters and bombers stack up over the Iraqi capital in preparation for a ground attack. And in his weekly radio address, President Bush pledges to the Iraqi people that "liberation is coming." Hear NPR's Scott Horsley and NPR's Anne Garrels.

Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit falls to U.S. forces with only sporadic fighting. Meanwhile in Baghdad's suburb of Saddam City, Iraqi citizens, led by Muslim clerics, take the lead in suppressing continued looting. NPR's Michele Norris talks to Matthew Fisher of Canada's National Post newspaper in Tikrit, and hear from NPR's Ivan Watson in Saddam City.

NASA tells space shuttle Discovery's astronauts Thursday that a spacewalk to repair a torn thermal blanket will not be necessary. Mission Control told the crew of seven that the shuttle will be safe for re-entry.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry emphasizes the importance of stem cell research, a subject of disagreement between Kerry and President Bush. Speaking in Portsmouth, N.H., Kerry questioned the president's decision-making style and the influence of GOP extremists. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

President George W. Bush drops his resistance to extending the deadline for the commission investigating the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The commission has asked Congress for two more months to conduct its inquiry, extending its deadline to July. Bush is now asking Congress to grant the request. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

The rebuilding of the World Trade Center officially begins, as a 20-ton piece of granite is lowered into place. The slab will serve as the cornerstone of the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower, which has design elements that echo the Statue of Liberty. Hear Dan Blumberg of member station WNYC.