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NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that the Chavez implosion is another example of a cover-up gone awry.

Robert talks with David Stempler of AirTrav Advisors about the corporate differences between airlines. With the exception of airlines such as Southwest, the flying experience for the customer has pretty much been the same across the board, and that airline customers probably won't notice much difference when they fly, he says.

California and federal officials met until late last night in Washington in hopes of solving the state's bedeviling electricity crisis. California Governor Gray Davis has proposed a variety of tactics to deal with the double threat of potential blackouts and high prices. But one town isn't waiting for the bigwigs to act. West Hollywood is looking for a cheaper and better way of keeping the lights on. NPR's Ina Jaffe has the story.

NPR's Rob Gifford reports that China today announced the launch of an unmanned rocket it hopes eventually will carry astronauts into space. Currently, only Russia and the U.S. are capable of manned space flight. China says three or four more test flights will be needed before it attempts a manned flight. The Long March rocket blasted off from a launch center in the Gobi Desert and Chinese officials say it will be used to conduct experiments on the effects of space on life forms.

Noah talks with John Eldridge, who covers nuclear, biological and chemical weapons for Jane's Defense Weekly, about the kinds of weapons that use depleted uranium, and why it's preferred over other materials.

NPR's Mary Ann Akers reports on the public debut of the National Zoo's new pandas. The pandas arrived from China on December sixth, but their keepers gave the animals a few weeks to get used to their new surroundings before opening the exhibit to the public. The National Zoo paid China ten million dollars for a ten year loan of the pandas.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports Palestinians in the West Bank town of Nablus are in no mood to compromise in the search for a peace settlement with Israel. They have rejected President Clinton's proposals and are vowing to continue their uprising to end Israeli occupation. They're also warning Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority not to defy the will of the people.

NPR's Phillip Davis reports that the US Civil Rights Commission opens two days of hearings today in Tallahassee into allegations of voting irregularities in Florida's Presidential election. The Civil Rights Commission has subpoenaed state officials to testify. In another case in Miami, the NAACP, the ACLU, and other civil rights groups have filed a class action suit against Florida. They allege that poorly maintained voter rolls prevented many African Americans from voting, and that there was a pattern of substandard voting equipment in minority neighborhoods.

NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports on a new study showing that HMOs and other health plans save money when they provide comprehensive treatment to diabetics. The study, published in today's Journal of the American Medical Association, supports closely monitoring diabetics' blood sugar and aggressively controlling it with insulin or other drugs.

Noah talks with Stanley R. Mohler, M.D., who teaches aerospace medicine at the Wright State University School of Medicine, about the increasing number of people with blood clots and what causes them. Long flights are being linked to a number of patients who have been diagnosed with blood clots. Dr. Mohler says that when we sit in cramped quarters for long periods of time, our blood circulation slows down, causing clots to form. He suggests trying to keep moving about to keep the blood flowing.

Commentator Michael Berube talks about his son Jamie, who has Downs Syndrome and attends a mainstream public school in Champaign, Illinois. One of Michael's low points in his son's academic year is the annual holiday concert, where, on stage, Jamie never seems to perform as well his father knows he can. Michael wants the other parents to see how well Jamie is doing, so they will understand that not only are their children teaching Jamie, but Jamie is also teaching them about what it means to be different.

Educating diabetics is key to their well being. But only about 20% of them get the information and counseling they need. Bill Zeeble from member station KERA looks at some innovative programs in the Dallas area, which has a high concentration of patients with diabetes.