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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.

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