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Neil Cavuto is a relatively calm Fox News personality. He's a Wall Street conservative less prone to shouting than musing, a host given to letting his guests have their say. He hosts more hours of cable news than anyone else at the big three news cable channels: 17 hours of live shows a week. And he does that despite having multiple sclerosis, which prevents him from doing so much as reading from a teleprompter.

Linda talks with Rhonda Albom who survived a crash in a 1998 Ford Explorer this spring. Albom describes the harrowing experience when the tread on her tires separated while she was driving her vehicle on April 25th. Her Ford Explorer rolled three times, spun 180-degrees and took out a street sign leaving her 20-day-old baby bloody in the back seat. Linda rejoins the conversation with Rhonda Albom who, along with her 20-day old daughter, survived a crash in her 1998 Ford Explore in April. Albom tells of her surprise about what the companies knew and when. She is suing both Bridgestone/Firestone and the Ford motor Company. She has also begun distributing flyers alerting Firestone tire owners of what happened to her and to her family.

Melissa Block speaks with Dan Friedman, who covers Washington for the New York Daily News, about how a question he asked of a source on Capitol Hill became the centerpiece for an explosive story spread by conservative media. Friedman says that in asking whether Chuck Hagel, who's been nominated to be secretary of defense, had received speaking fees from controversial groups, he made up the name "Friends of Hamas" as a farcical example. That name later surfaced on Breitbart.com, despite the fact that the group does not exist.

Oil & Politics -- NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that both presidential candidates, George W. Bush and Al Gore, say the U.S. needs to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Bush would like to see the U.S. boost domestic production, while Gore tends to focus on conservation measures. But experts are skeptical. They say even if the U.S. boosts domestic production substantially, it wouldn't be enough to influence the price of oil. And there are doubts about how much the nation's energy appetite can be reduced through conservation.

Veteran newsman Robert Trout has the second of two reports about the history of the Republican party, through his own reporting on the last 17 conventions over a period of nearly seventy years. Today, Trout picks up in the late 1940's and early 1950's, and the fight between moderates and conservatives -- between the forces of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Robert A. Taft. Eisenhower won. But the pendulum swung back in the 1960's with the nomination of Barry Goldwater. Ultimately, Trout points out that the struggle between moderate and conservative still marks party proceedings today.

The Reform Party opened its national convention in Long Beach California today, still divided over the official standing of presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. Supporters of the firebrand conservative insist he has won a mail-in primary for the Reform nomination, while other party members say he has been disqualified. Buchanan supporters had the upper hand in the convention hall, so the dissenters walked out. NPR's Andy Bowers talks to Noah live from Long Beach.

- In his first public remarks since his reprimand and fine by the House Ethics Committee, Speaker Newt Gingrich lashed out at the media and the Democrats for following a "double-standard" when dealing with conservatives who make ethical mistakes. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports Gingrich's unrepentent remarks received applause from the audience in his Georgia district, but the speaker still faces the question of how he will pay his $300,000 fine and possibly more questions from the IRS over possible tax violations.

Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush has held conservative Christian leaders at arms length in his effort to woo moderate, swing voters. Bush's public distance, however, does not appear to have hurt him among the campaign foot soldiers who identify with the religious right. As NPR's David Molpus reports from North Carolina, questions Bush raises about Al Gore's truthfulness resonate loudly with this group, and they are working hard to get out the vote next week.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports on Texas Senator Phil Gramm, who has been campaigning for the Republican nomination for president for well over a year and the first big test comes Feb. 12 in the Iowa caucuses. That will be his chance to see if he can close the gap between himself and Senator Bob Dole, who is presumed to be well ahead of all the other GOP contenders. Gramm is confident he can show his candidacy gaining strength. With a message designed to win over fiscal and social conservatives, Gramm says he's the candidate best able to carry out the Republican agenda, and that the key to his viability is carrying out the promises his party made in 1994.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports that commentator Pat Buchanan headed to Iowa today after his surprise win in yesterday's Louisiana caucuses. He beat Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, who had hoped that a strong lead in Louisiana would give him a boost in the Iowa caucuses next week. Both men saw the Louisiana race as a contest for the conservative Republican vote. A strong showing by the Christian right and the anti-abortion wing of the party was credited with Buchanan's victory. Both men, however, have an uphill fight in Iowa, where polls show many voters are leaning toward millionaire Steve Forbes.

Noah talks with Frankie Andreau, a bike racer on the US Postal Service Team in the Tour de France, about his role in the race. Team work is crucial in the Tour de France and bikers are assigned different roles, like sprinters, climbers and overall workers, who support one or two leaders. Lance Armstrong is the leader on Andreau's team. The rest of the team is always working to conserve Armstrong's energy. Andreau is considered a worker, who may sprint to the front to protect Armstrong from the wind or who may drop back to get something Armstrong needs.

House Speaker Newt Gingrich is facing calls for him to step aside because of his unpopularity with the general public. Some of his problems stem from the conservative agenda, others from ethics charges. Even among his usual supporters, some GOP congressmen say Gingrich should step aside as Speaker for the good of the agenda. But NPR's Brian Naylor reports Gingrich still has many congressmen behind him, and is likely to be reelected Speaker next week when House Republicans meet to elect their leaders.

As part of NPR's ongoing series on how to get AIDS drugs to the developing world, NPR's Michael Sullivan reports on the AIDS situation in India. India has the world's largest number of people infected with the AIDS virus -- more than 4 million are infected by the most conservative estimates. But in a population of nearly 1 billion, AIDS takes a back seat to other pressing health concerns. Indeed, there is little discussion in India about how to get AIDS treatments to those who need them, unlike the current debates now going on in Africa. And in India, even basic prevention efforts face major cultural hurdles.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports that the Senate today elected its new leaders and held an orientation session for 16 new members elected last month. While Republicans will hold a 55-45 majority in the next Senate -- two more seats than they had held -- newly elected leaders say they want to work in a more bipartisan manner. This could be difficult, however, since many of the newer members are more conservative than those they replaced... and divisions over campaign finance reform emerged almost immediately.

NPR's David Welna traveled home with Kentucky Congressman Ken Lucas, the state's only Democratic representative in Washington, D.C. and reports on Lucas' meetings with his constituents. The visits came just days before President Bush was to address a joint session of Congress on his new budget proposals. Lucas, whose district voted for Bush, is one of the most conservative members of his own party, and is one of the Democrats whom the president is hoping to win over. The two-term House member says that he and his district are in sync on most of issues.

One day after President-elect Bush's choice for labor secretary withdrew her nomination, the debate continues over another controversial nominee. Bush wants conservative former Senator John Ashcroft as his attorney general, a choice that's drawn fire from labor unions, abortion rights groups, and civil rights groups. NPR's Steve Inskeep examines some of Ashcroft's record as a Senator. In six years, Ashcroft battled to block the Senate from confirming numerous judges and other officials whom he considered too liberal. Now he faces his own confirmation hearing, and some Senators are asking if Ashcroft is too conservative.

Leah Lemm brings us episode 39 of Northern Voices. For her conversation this week, Leah visits with Sam Zimmerman, an artist and author of the recent book Following My Spirit Home, published by Black Bears and Blueberries publishing. In their conversation, Sam tells the story that inspired one of his paintings, where as a child, his father tried to trick his grandmother to get out of berry picking. Click the player above to hear the whole story and learn more about Sam's art, what he learned from the pandemic, and what drew him home to the place of his family.