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U.N. weapons inspectors discover empty chemical warheads in southern Iraq, and for the first time visit homes of two Iraqi nuclear scientists in Baghdad, removing documents from one. Meanwhile at the United Nations, there's disagreement over the timetable for weapons inspections to conclude. Hear NPR's Kate Seelye and NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

France accuses the United States of impatience in its push for war against Iraq and says it is not prepared to support any U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorize military action. Russia and China, which like France have veto power, support the French position. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.

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.

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

Martin Luther King, Jr. famously hoped for a day when his children would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. It's been nearly 40 years since then, and commentator Aaron Freeman hopes for even more for his daughters. He wants to raise them as if "African-American" is not their primary identity, but one of many things they are, along with athletes, Chicagoans and scholars. The problem is that it's working. They have a different outlook than he does, and he's afraid they are a different race than he is. The struggle against racism has defined much of his life, and he fears that they don't even take racism personally.

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.

Commentator Herbert "Crazylegs" Seward played trumpet in Alabama State's marching band, and he says the music and moves portrayed in the film Drumline are no match for the performances of the real bands of historically Black Colleges and Universities. One band's routines are so precise they form the score of the game at halftime; another has a style called "The Rattler" that resembles the slither of a snake.

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.

He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his performances in The Usual Suspects and American Beauty. His other films include L.A. Confidential, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Negotiator, and The Shipping News. On television he was a regular in the series The Wiseguy. In 1997 Spacey formed Trigger Street Productions which has produced plays on Broadway, as well as films. Recently Spacey launched TriggerStreet.com, an interactive Web site dedicated to nurturing and development of undiscovered talent. Spacey's new film is The Life of David Gale. [Spacey declined to give permission for this Web site to offer audio of his interview, or sell tapes or transcripts of it.]

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.

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.

As the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches, debate over abortion continues. Abortion rights opponents stress abstinence-only education and point to Uganda, where emphasis on abstinence has lowered a 30-percent HIV rate to 5 percent in a decade. NPR's Brenda Wilson reports.