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Linda Wertheimer and Noah Adams bring us excerpts of today's oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the contest of the presidential election results from Florida. For the second time in history, the court has released an audio tape of a session. Today's arguments by attorneys for George W. Bush and Al Gore lasted 90 minutes. We hear the voices of the justices asking questions, and the attorneys' responses. Robert A. Destro, Dean of the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America and Jeffrey Rosen, Associate Professor of Law at The George Washington University in Washington DC provide analysis.

Today at the U.N. Security Council, Secretary of State Colin Powell presented newly declassified satellite photos, voice intercepts and intelligence from human sources, trying to make the case that Iraq is deliberately deceiving weapons inspectors rather than complying with them. For example, one set of photos purported to show four active chemical munitions bunkers with a decontamination vehicle nearby in case of accidents. Photos taken later, as U.N. weapons inspectors were arriving at the site, show that the bunkers had been sanitized and the telltale decontamination vehicle removed. Powell's remarks had little immediate effect on other council members. France and Russia, both of which have veto power, continued to argue that the inspectors should be given more time before a decision is made on whether to go to war against Iraq. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.

Robert talks to Harold Rothwax, who for 25 years has been a judge on the New York State Supreme Court and has now written a book entitled, Guilty: The Collapse of Criminal Justice. In his book Rothwax outlines areas of needed reforms in the criminal justice system, including how some evidence is thrown out even when obtained in good faith. (Published by Random H

It's still raining over much of the west. Gamblers are trapped in Reno hotels, and the casinos and bordellos are closed down for the first time in 100 years. The governor of Idaho has declared several counties disaster areas. In California, rivers in Napa and Sonoma counties are above flood stage. Damage is in the hundreds of millions of dollars -- much of it because of bad planning, according to experts. NPR's Richard Gonzales reports.

A report released by the FBI yesterday says the nation's crime rate is down this year. Large cities have had the most significant drop in crime, while rural areas have experienced a slight increase. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports that the Justice Department attributes the falling crime rates to improved community policing efforts, but some criminologists say its difficult to pinpoint the reasons for the drop in crime.

In Washington tomorrow, The Federal Communications Commission will release detailed regulations governing how the local telephone markets will be opened to competition. The FCC faces a complicated task in trying to balance the interests of several industries, while at the same time protecting consumers from price hikes. Consumer groups are worried that local phone service may become far more expensive in some areas. NPR's Barbara Bradley reports.

NPR's David Molpus reports that businesses in Atlanta are adopting a number of strategies to cope with the expected traffic problems caused by next week's Olympic Games. Companies like UPS are having planes arrive early, and have hired walkers to deliver packages in areas where streets will be closed. Other companies will have their employees telecommute, some small businesses will be forced to close down completely because of the event.

Robert talks with NPR's Elizabeth Arnold about a speech Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole made yesterday criticizing President Clinton's policies toward Asia. Dole, who is the presumptive GOP nominee for president, said Clinton has been indecisive and weak, leaving U.S. allies confused. But in some areas, such as extending Most Favored Nation trade status for China, the two candidates agree.

As 10 states prepare to hold Democratic contests March 2, Sen. John Edwards concentrates his efforts in Ohio, New York and Georgia -- areas especially hard hit by job losses in manufacturing. Edwards hopes his own working-class background and tough stance against free-trade agreements will help win over blue-collar voters. Hear NPR's Adam Hochberg.

Latino students make up the largest minority group of America's school-age population -- and there's broad consensus in research and policy circles that public schools are not doing a good job of meeting their needs. In the first of a five-part special report on U.S. Latinos and education, NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports from Gainesville, Ga., on one community's efforts to educate the area's burgeoning Hispanic population.

The Pentagon reports U.S. forces are rolling through key areas in Iraq with little sign of Republican Guard units. A week of heavy bombing has weakened some guard divisions, but military officials say they've seen few surrenders. The Pentagon says it's not clear what Iraq's strategy is, and warns again that the toughest fighting lies ahead. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell visits a refugee camp and meets with government officials in Sudan. Powell says the discussions produced assurances from the Sudanese government that it would combat Arab militias that have been raping and murdering black African villagers. Fighting in the area has displaced some 1 million people in the last two years. Hear Powell and NPR's Michele Norris.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 100,000 people over 65 live in Atlanta but do not drive. That's second only to New York City, but unlike New York, Atlanta is stretched out over a wide geographic area and public transportation is lacking. The city is developing several ways to help these older non-drivers stay active and independent. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports.

Accused sniper John Lee Malvo, 17, is ordered held without bail after a hearing Friday in Fairfax County, Va. A preliminary hearing was held earlier in the day in Prince William County, Va., for 41-year-old John Allen Muhammad, the other suspect in a string of killings in the Washington, D.C. area and the Deep South. NPR's Andrea Seabrook talks with NPR's John Ydtsie.

Two U.S. soldiers are killed when their convoy comes under attack in northern Iraq. Recent attacks on American soldiers have prompted the U.S. Army to adopt an informal system of reward and punishment. Soldiers hand out food and water in neighborhoods free of attacks, while they set up roadblocks and conduct searches in areas where violence persists. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

Final results of the Iraqi national election are released, two weeks after the vote. As expected, the Shiite-led coalition, tacitly endorsed by Ayatollah al-Sistani, came away with the biggest bloc, at 47 percent. A Kurdish alliance came in second, with 25 percent of the vote. Turnout in Sunni Muslim areas was lower than U.S. officials had predicted. NPR's Emily Harris reports from Baghdad.

She had the style and stage presence of Ella Fitzgerald, the stateswomanly quality of Eleanor Roosevelt and the impassioned posthumous following of Elvis Presley. Her name was Uum Kulthum and although she died 25 years ago, her music still sells out in Egypt and can be heard all over the streets of Cairo. Now there's a TV documentary about her life called Voice of Egypt. It's scheduled for broadcast on television stations around the U.S. this month. Shirley Jahad has this profile of Uum Kulthum and her music. (7:45) Voice of Egypt, can be seen at varying times and dates on local PBS stations. Check local listings. Also see http://www.filmmakerscollab.org.

Reuben Jackson reviews the new CD from Helen Merrill. She has been singing and recording American popular music for more than 50 years. On this new release, for the first time, she also includes songs from her native Croatia. Merrill is 70 years old now, but Jackson says her voice is still elegant and pretension-free. (4:30) The CD is called The CD is called Jelana Ana Milcetic, aka, Helen Merrill. It's on the Verve Music label, copyright 2000.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of Charles Mingus. As an instrumentalist, he became known as "the Segovia of the bass" and championed the unwieldy instrument as a solo voice in jazz groups. He became one of the first bassists to lead his own group. But perhaps he made his greatest mark as a composer. He was inspired by Ellington and carried that great composer's ideas to new levels in the nearly 300 works Mingus left behind. Karen Michel (mih-SHELL) has this report on the life and music of one of America's true jazz innovators. (8:00) ((ST