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The fate of three Japanese civilians held hostage in Iraq hangs in the balance. Government officials say they will not comply with a demand to withdraw a small contingent of Japanese troops engaged in reconstruction work in Iraq. The Arabic news network Al-Jazeera is reporting the hostages may be released soon. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and NPR's Rob Gifford.

This week, the Sept. 11 panel hears testimony from former FBI Director Louis Freeh, former Attorney General Janet Reno, Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller. Their testimony comes as representatives of several other agencies have blamed the FBI for not alerting the government to the possibility of attack. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and NPR News Analyst Cokie Roberts.

Fierce street fighting breaks out in a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad. And battles continue around Fallujah, even as U.S. occupation authorities dispatch an Iraqi delegation to negotiate a cease-fire there. There are reports that insurgents may agree to a truce beginning Sunday. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and Anthony Shadid of The Washington Post.

Brooke Gladstone, co-host of NPR's On the Media, explores the booming business of "chick lit" -- all those trashy beach reads with the pastel-colored covers. They've become so popular, there are sub-categories now: African-American chick lit, Christian chick-lit, and now even a more "manly" version known as "lad lit." Can a gal spend an evening reading chick lit and still respect herself in the morning? And will lad lit be an economic success?

After two months of the Bush campaign's television advertising blitz, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry is airing commercials that aim to make him better known to the American electorate, explain his position on Iraq, shed light on his national priorities and counter the Bush campaign's anti-Kerry message. NPR's John McChesney reports.

NPR's Bob Edwards talks to NPR News Analyst Cokie Roberts about President Bush's and Vice President Dick Cheney's upcoming testimony before the Sept. 11 commission and how it could affect the 2004 elections.

Letterboxing is a British hobby recently imported to the United States. It entails using clues -- now posted on the World Wide Web -- to find secret boxes hidden in odd places on city streets. Hear NPR's Linda Wertheimer and Thomas Johnston, an enthusiast in Washington, D.C.

Under pressure from an independent panel investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the White House Saturday declassified the President's Daily Brief document from August 6, 2001. The briefing, titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.," has been mentioned often in testimony before the panel. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and New York Times correspondent David Sanger.

The late French musician Serge Gainsbourg's landmark double album Aux Armes et Caetera, originally issued in 1979, is being reissued accompanied with new versions of the original reggae-style songs. Gainsbourg, known both for his provocative lyrics and world-weary delivery, died in 1991. Music critic Michelle Mercer has a review.

An Oklahoma judge has ruled that a lawsuit seeking reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre can proceed, bringing new hope for justice for three centenarian survivors of the deadly racist attack.