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Army Surgeon General Kevin Kiley has abruptly stepped down, requesting retirement. He is the third top Army official to depart amid fallout over the way wounded soldiers were treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Pakistani authorities say they believe their troops have cornered Osama bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, near the Afghan-Pakistan border. Pakistani forces are engaged in a fierce battle there with tribal leaders and al Qaeda fighters. U.S. officials say they cannot confirm the reports. Hear NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.

The Pentagon is expected to replace Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez as the top U.S. commander in Iraq. President Bush called Sanchez "exemplary," and officials say his transfer is part of a long-planned reorganization. Nevertheless, the move leaves the impression in some quarters that the administration is not satisfied with Sanchez's performance in Iraq. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

The number of coronavirus cases on the Central and South Coasts topped the 680 mark Saturday, with 18 additional cases reported in the region.The total…

A brush fire burning in Santa Barbara County has now topped the 10,000 acre mark.The Canyon Fire has been burning since Saturday night on the south…

Four more former Iraqi officials are in U.S. custody. A total of 11 top officials of the deposed regime are now under arrest. In Baghdad, retired U.S. Gen. Jay Garner oversees a town-hall meeting on municipal leadership and security issues. And some Iraqi schools reopen. Hear NPR's Guy Raz and NPR's Scott Simon.

To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, a great mystery should take "the lid off life and let [you] look at the works." Maureen Corrigan's picks for the top five crime novels of the year do just that.

Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons, two thirds of the blues rock trio ZZ Top, play a quiz about a famous miser, Hetty Green. Known as the "Witch of Wall Street," Green was incredibly wealthy by the time she died in 1916 -- but she was famous for never parting with a nickel if she could help it.

Songwriter Felice Bryant dies at age 77 at home in Gatlinburg, Tenn. She collaborated with her husband to pen some of the best-known tunes in country music and early rock 'n' roll. Her songs Bye Bye Love and Wake Up Little Susie were Everly Brothers standards, just as Rocky Top became a country standard. NPR's Melissa Block offers a remembrance.

The highway bill signed by President Bush Wednesday is nearly $30 billion richer than what Bush proposed -- and it tops the figure he said he'd veto. The president has said he expects to cut the federal budget deficit in half by 2009, warning that Congress must control spending.