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NPR's David Molpus reports that Bush and Gore lawyers have filed briefs with the federal appeals court in Atlanta. Bush's lawyers are asking the court to block further recounts of the Florida vote, maintaining that the procedures are unconstitutional and are undermining the integrity of the election. Gore's lawyers say Florida courts should have control, and the appeals court should uphold lower federal judges, who declined to intervene.

The State Department issues its revised terrorism report, correcting its annual paper released in April. The initial findings, showing a decline in terrorism during 2003, led some U.S. officials to claim the country was winning the war against terrorists. But the revised report, using more accurate data, shows that terrorist attacks actually increased in 2003. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

In the 1980s and 1990s, asthma rates in U.S. kids reached epidemic proportions. Though studies indicate the rates are leveling off, rates for African American and Hispanic children and inner-city populations aren't declining. New research suggests poverty, stress and poor mental health may be fueling the problem. Madge Kaplan of member station WGBH reports.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told lawmakers that progress toward bringing down the nation's high unemployment rate will be "frustratingly slow." He reiterated previous statements that the Fed stands ready to do more, but declined to be specific about what it would do. Bernanke also defended the Fed's role in addressing the manipulation of a benchmark interest rate by at least one big bank.

19th Century composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt (frahnz list) was a deeply religious man who sometimes wrote music inspired by his faith. He wrote two pieces for piano dedicated to St. Francis; we'll hear one of them, Legend: St. Francis Preaching to the Birds, along with a brief explanation of the music by Tom Mastroianni, president of the American Liszt Society.

- On election night, news networks will be predicting winners hours before polls close around the country. Daniel talks with Curtis Gans about the effect of these projections on voter turnouts. Gans is the Director of the Non-Partisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. He says many studies show a decline in voting on the West coast after networks begin projecting winners, which could make a big difference in this election.

Stocks were trading sharply lower this afternoon following a disappointing earnings report from technology leader Hewlett-Packard and continued uncertainty over the presidential election. As NPR's Jim Zarroli reports, the Nasdaq composite index has fallen especially hard in recent days, with shares of highly profitable, dominant companies tumbling, a situation more worrying to many investors than the decline of the dot-coms.

NPR's Tovia Smith reports on the case of Rebecca Corneau, the Massachusetts cult member who was jailed last month in an effort to make sure her baby is born safely. Corneau has declined to appeal. Another pregnant woman, known as Barbara F., tried to challenge the ruling, saying it would have a chilling effect on *all* pregnant women. Yesterday, Massachusetts' highest court denied that effort.

Rbert talks to Barton Gellman, Jerusalem Bureau Chief for the Washington Post , about the decline in popularity of Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. In the six months since Netanyahu took office, there have been events that led to questions about Netanyahu's effectiveness...such as the violent response to the Israeli government's opening of a tourist tunnel and the inability of the government to negotiate a plan for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Hebron. At home and abroad, confidence in Netanyahu's effectiveness as a leader has waned.

The United Auto Workers union broke with tradition in its on-going contract negotiations with Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. The union has declined to formally announce a strike target, as is typically done by Labor Day of the contract year. However NPR's Don Gonyea reports that there are indications that the union is focusing its attention on one company, Ford, in hopes of reaching a settlement that can serve as a pattern for the other two companies.

Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, President Bush's nominee to replace Gen. Tommy Franks as head of the U.S. Central Command defends the pre-war intelligence the administration presented on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Lt. Gen. John Abizaid says he expects U.S. forces to remain in Iraq "a long time" but declines to offer specifics. NPR's David Welna reports.

For decades, coal represented half of the nation's electricity generation, but it dropped to only 34 percent for the month of March. While the decline is partially due to a warmer winter and stricter environmental regulations, the real culprit may be natural gas. Technological breakthroughs in fracking have led to a gas boom that's caused prices to plummet. As a result, power plants are switching from coal to natural gas and mines in Appalachia are shutting down.

Noah Adams talks to Dot Jackson, who lives by herself near the border between North Carolina and South Carolina. She says that she hasn't had power for two days because of the weather, but she isn't too cold because she has a wood stove. She says that whenever she goes to get wood, all the birds hiding from the cold in her woodpile fly out.

Virginia Biggar reports from Los Angeles on a debate over the last remaining wild area of west L.A. Home to migrating birds as well as the hangars where Howard Hughes built the Spruce Goose, at one time the world's largest plane. The land is to become the newest movie studio for Steven Spielberg's new company, Dreamworks. Environmentalists object, as do some who object to the $70 million in tax breaks the company got.

NPR's Jack Speer reports the nation's foreign trade deficit declined slightly in November. The difference between what U-S companies shipped abroad and what foreign firms sent to the U-S fell for a second straight month. The trade deficit remains near a historical record high though, and as the economy shows signs of weakening analysts are expressing concerns about what the high trade deficit might mean for the economy.

In recent years, there has been a sharp decline in the number of Catholics who are choosing religious vocations. Some predictions are dire...suggesting that many religious orders may soon disappear. Among Catholic nuns, there are more women over the age of 90 than under 30.The Church is also having to face the economic and social problems involved in caring for this elderly population. Producer Mary Beth Kirchner reports on the future of nuns in America.

NPR's Philip Davis reports on a charge by the British that Switzerland turned over only a small part of the gold it was holding from the German Nazis during World War Two. The Foreign Office said the Swiss paid out only a little more than a tenth of all the gold thought to be in Swiss vaults. Switzerland declined to comment and deferred to a government commission being set up to examine the war-time activities of Swiss Banks.

Global oil prices dropped again, falling to an 11-year low on Wednesday as investors worried about weak demand for refined petroleum products. New government data show U.S. stockpiles of gasoline and distillates, including diesel fuel and heating oil, soared in recent days, offsetting a decline in crude supplies. Taken together, crude and refined products are now at a record high, and that glut is driving retail prices lower.

Linda talks with Liz and Christy Carpenter -- two delegates with a long history of Democratic Conventions. Liz Carpenter was in Philadelphia in 1948 -- as a very young, very green reporter. She later became Press Secretary to Lady Bird Johnson. Today, she's a delegate from Texas. Her daughter Christy is a delegate from California. Her first convention was in Atlantic City, New Jersey -- in 1964. She was more excited about the possibility of seeing the Beatles afterward.

As dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, commentator Joseph Nye is seeing a steady decline in the number of his graduates going into government. He says federal agencies are poorly equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century -- and their employeees lack the proper skills in information technology, economics and management. By contracting so much work to companies outside of government, the government has left less challenging work for its own employees. He suggests President Bush raise the salaries and the profile of public service employees.