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Secretary of State of Condoleezza Rice is making her first trip to Iraq as the nation's top diplomat. NPR's Peter Kenyon is in Baghdad, and he talks to host Liane Hansen about Rice's visit and the United States' efforts to combat insurgents along the Syrian border.

In John Sandford's new thriller Broken Prey, middle-aged Minneapolis police officer Lucas Davenport takes time out from crime-solving to compile a list of the top 100 rock songs for a road trip.

The number of attacks in Iraq rises and falls, but that is just one way to try to measure progress in the war. Other factors are harder to quantify. One is the way Iraqis view the American troops who still patrol their cities. Philip Reeves spent a day with an American platoon in and around the northern city of Mosul.

In Missouri, plans to pare 90,000 people from the Medicaid rolls in 2005 have sparked a fierce debate over the morality of the move. Frank Morris of member station KCUR in Kansas City reports.

President Bush's next stop is the former Soviet republic of Georgia. He is expected to praise the country for its turn toward democracy during the peaceful "Rose Revolution" that brought a pro-western leader into office.

Jackie Northam provides an update on the cases of military men and women accused of being involved in the prisoner abuse scandal at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Five of seven guards involved in abusing prisoners have pleaded guilty or been found guilty of charges against them, and a senior officer has been demoted.

Tyler Florence can regularly be seen on the Food Network, helping amateur cooks resolve cooking emergencies. His latest cookbook is a collection of recipes inspired from his travels around the world.

This week, Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, expressed interest in taking control of the Social Security and Medicare initiatives. Thomas outlined a broader legislative package than the one President Bush proposed, suggesting changes to private savings and pensions outside of Social Security. Washington Post reporter Jeffrey Birnbaum offers details.

Standard and Poor's downgraded debt ratings for General Motors and Ford Thursday. The automakers say they have enough cash to avoid crises. But having their credit rating lowered to "junk bond" status is going to make it more expensive for them to borrow.

Coco Chanel's legacy has been carried on by designer and devotee Karl Lagerfeld. An exhibit opening Thursday at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art demonstrates how Lagerfeld has extended Chanel's vision.