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That holiday tree in your living room seems fresh, but it was probably plucked from the farm earlier this month. Tom Banse has an insider's look at the industrial operation to bring trees to market.

A report from investigators in the House, due for release Wednesday, is expected to fault all levels of government in the response to Hurricane Katrina. Authors of the report, "A Failure of Initiative," outline 90 serious flaws in the response -- ranging from ineffective leadership at the Department of Homeland Security to inadequate state and local plans for evacuation to a "fog of war" at the White House.

President Bush and his aides ponder their course of political action as the administration seeks to recover from Friday's indictment of a senior White House official and the withdrawal of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers.

Two anesthesiologists threw the death penalty in California into turmoil this week when they walked out of the execution of a convicted murderer. The doctors objected when the state asked them to do more than observe the execution. Now death penalty experts wonder whether other states will have the same problem.

In a rare holiday week session, the Senate continues debate on a budget reconciliation bill and defense appropriations legislation. The House of Representatives adjourned early Monday after passing a series of spending cuts and a provision for drilling in the Arctic refuge.

Eggs hold symbolic significance for those marking both Easter and Passover. Marie Simmons, author of The Good Egg answers Debbie Elliott's simple question: What's the difference between white and brown eggs?

Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' letters and emails. Among the stories: a staircase at the World Trade Center site; a series on legal immigration; Medicare's drug program; and an effort to ban Hot Cheetos.

The political clout of the militant Islamist group Hamas is rising. The group's candidates are expected to do well in next week's Palestinian parliamentary elections, with current polls showing Hamas winning at least one-third of the seats. That scenario presents a challenge for Israel.

Polls open Sunday in Congo for that nation's first democratic elections in more than 40 years. Many hope the vote will help turn the page after decades of dictatorship and civil war.

Venezuela, led by fiery, leftist president Hugo Chavez, is at the forefront of a political swing to the left that is sweeping much of Latin America. With its vast oil revenues, Venezuela carries a lot of clout in the region, and it has made alliances with nations that are most at odds with the United States.