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In the first of three reports on how Americans feel about the state of the nation, John Ydstie speaks with residents of Westminster Village, a retirement community in Spanish Fort, Ala. All members of the group call themselves Republicans. War with Iraq is their main concern -- and some caution against going to war without being absolutely certain. They want to hear the president explain why there is a need for war. They also discuss the economy and health care.

Rick Cleveland has some experience writing presidential speeches. He won an Emmy award for writing on The West Wing. One of his jobs was to write the State of the Union address for fictional President Josiah Bartlet.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Michael Gross, author of Genuine Authentic -- The Story of Fashion Phenomenon Ralph Lauren. Gross explains how a boy born with the name Ralph Lifshitz reinvented himself and packaged and sold his new reality to America.

NPR's Michele Norris speaks with NPR's Jason Beaubien in Zimbabwe. Beaubien updates the political turmoil there. Zimbabwe's main opposition party accuses President Robert Mugabe's government of sanctioning the torture of its supporters.

Computer network administrators continue repairing damage done over the weekend by malicious software spread by the Internet. Desktop computers weren't damaged, but computer networks were clogged by the so-called "worm," and the damage could have been prevented. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

For the past few years, Afghanistan has suffered from ongoing drought. So have the United States, central Asia and southern Europe. As NPR’s Richard Harris reports, new research now links these events -- and suggests global warming is at play.

The Pentagon and the Justice Department are negotiating the status of military detainees. At issue: whether the detainees can be used to help prosecute, or defend, other suspected terrorists. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports.

Brian Mann of North Country Radio reports that hundreds of Pakistanis are fleeing to Canada, rather than registering with the U.S. government. Because they are not U.S. citizens, they fear they'll be detained or deported if they register. But their fate in Canada is far from assured.

NPR's Michele Norris and NPR's Lynn Neary outline the State of the Union Address Drinking Game. It was created last year by two Princeton University seniors. It requires players to sip a drink when the president says specific words or does specific things in the course of the address. Howard Deutsch was one of the originators, and he says he's a political junkie and an occasional drinker. An example from the list: if the president mispronounces "nuclear" it requires players to take three drinks.

Rebel fighters attack U.S. and Afghan troops in the mountainous southeastern region of Afghanistan. It's the worst fighting there in months. U.S. military officials say at least 18 rebel fighters have died. NPR's Lynn Neary talks to New York Times reporter Carlotta Gall.

The FAA orders spot checks on the weight of passengers on commuter planes to make sure estimates of average passenger weight are accurate. The ruling follows a fatal Jan. 8 crash in Charlotte, N.C. The plane may have been overloaded. NPR's Lynn Neary talks with New York Times aviation writer Matt Wald.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Bill Allen, editor-in-chief of National Geographic Magazine about "National Geographic Swimsuits: 100 Years of Pictures." The special special edition hits newsstands on Feb. 1.