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As Secretary of State Colin Powell prepares to present to the U.N. Security Council the U.S. case against Iraq, President Bush will meet with Italy's prime minister and Saudi Arabia's foreign minister for the "final phase" of diplomatic consultations. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten and Joseph Cirincione of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Economic growth comes to a near standstill in the fourth quarter of 2002, as the gross domestic product rose by an annual rate of just 0.7 percent. Concerns over a possible war in Iraq and rising oil prices prompt many businesses to hold off on new spending. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

The investigation into the space shuttle Columbia disaster starts with a focus on a piece of foam insulation that fell off the shuttle's fuel tank and hit its left wing during launch. Columbia broke apart upon re-entry Saturday, killing all seven astronauts aboard. NPR's Joe Palca reports on the first stages of the probe.

Initial clues in the investigation of the break-up of the space shuttle Columbia suggest there may have been a problem with the tiles that protect the spacecraft against the heat of re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, searchers are scouring a wide area of East Texas and Louisiana for shuttle wreckage. NPR's Richard Harris and Wade Goodwyn report.

NASA administrator Mike Kostelnik says there was no reason to think that possible damage to the space shuttle Columbia on liftoff was reason for concern. Meanwhile, the agency expands the search for debris, establishing a second collection site in Texas. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports.

President Bush sends Congress a 2004 budget totaling $2.23 trillion, with the largest increases going to defense and homeland security. The budget assumes a new round of tax cuts, but doesn't account for a possible Iraq war. The proposal also includes the largest deficit in America's history -- more than $300 billion. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the U.N. nuclear agency, and chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix arrive in Baghdad for talks with Iraqi officials. They are expected to warn Iraq that it must cooperate more intensely with arms inspectors. Hear NPR's Kate Seelye and Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations.

With the 108th Congress less than two weeks old, new lawmakers in both houses settle in and prepare for next week's State of the Union speech. NPR's Bob Edwards talks to Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AK) and John Sununu (R-NH).

Government lawyers on the Enron Task Force are stepping up prosecution following the holidays. The so-called "superseding indictment" could bring additional charges against Enron's Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow. It could also name new defendants. NPR's Wade Goodwyn reports.

In Beijing, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State James Kelly continues efforts to end the impasse over North Korea's nuclear program. The United States wants China, North Korea's closest ally, to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions. Anthony Kuhn reports.