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NPR's Peter Kenyon profiles Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, the Democratic counterpart to John McCain on the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reform bill. Like McCain, Feingold has a knack of irritating his own party. But he could turn out to be the Democrats' best hope of attracting independent voters to their side of the aisle.

Outgoing Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak reversed course yesterday and announced he would not join the cabinet of Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that Barak's decision deals a blow to Sharon's hopes of establishing a national unity government, and leaves Barak's Likud party in disarray.

NPR's Mara Liasson reports on the month since Bill Clinton left the White House. The former president, his pardons, his gifts, his wife and his relatives have been constantly in the news. Democrats had expected the post-presidency Clinton to be a party leader. Now they're not sure what to make of him or his future.

NPR's David Welna reports on how well President-elect Bush's nominee for Education Secretary did on his first big test today. At his Senate confirmation hearing, Rod Paige got high marks from Senators in both parties. He called for more testing for students and teachers, and stuck by his support for Bush's voucher plan.

Tom Trowbridge reports that the governor of New Mexico is championing a bill that would make it legal to possess small amounts of marijuana in the state. The measure is now before the state's legislature. Lawmakers from both parties are lobbying for the bill, which if it passes, will be the first time the possession of marijuana has been legalized in 20 years.

Linda Wertheimer talks with Doug Struck, Tokyo Bureau chief for the Washington Post about the election of Junichiro Koizumi, the new head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan. Koizumi is likely to be the country's next prime minister. Koizumi had a reputation as an eccentric -- but has become known as a reformer, and gained popular support to head a government which he had previously challenged.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports on the potential California gubernatorial candidacy of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. With the state's power crisis ebbing away at Gov. Gray Davis' (D) popularity, many Republicans feel The Terminator is the man who can rescue their party. After all, they note, Ronald Reagan, George Murphy, Sonny Bono and Clint Eastwood parlayed entertainment careers to political office in California.

NPR's David Welna reports on the second installment of President Bush's tax plan, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee today on a party-line vote. This installment, which the full House is expected to take up next week, focuses on the so-called marriage tax and the child tax credit. But Democrats argue -- and some Republicans agree -- that none of this addresses the immediate problem of the faltering economy.

Every summer amateur astronomers around the country hold hundreds of "star parties," inviting the general public to gaze through telescopes at the night sky's wonders. At Stellafane, in rural Vermont, sky watchers have gathered since the 1920s. They'll be there again this weekend. So will Sky and Telescope magazine editor Kelly Beatty, who offers a commentary for Morning Edition.

In 1963, when she was only 16, Lesley Gore recorded one of the greatest songs in rock and roll history, It's My Party, and I'll Cry If I Want To. Gore has stayed in the business since the 60s, and she's currently appearing at the New York City club, Rainbow and Stars. Rhino records released a two record retrospective of her greatest hits in 1991.