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Veteran broadcaster Robert Trout recalls The Senator Was Indiscreet, a little remembered motion picture that cast a cynical look at the political process. The film talked about the balancing act between the press, public relations and politics. Actor William Powell played an inept senator with presidential ambitions. He had a secret diary that threatened to derail him. The story by George S. Kaufman never caught on with audiences. But Trout says there's a lot of cold-hearted wisdom in this movie comedy that we can still learn from today. It deals with patronage and pride in ways that were meant to be an exaggeration at the time. But after Spiro Agnew, Wayne Hayes, Watergate and the like, the film seems like a celluloid crystal ball.

NPR's Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem reports the Israeli parliament reconvened today for the first time since the outbreak of the new Palestinian uprising. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak opened the story session by warning the Palestinians there will be no peace talks as long as the violence continues.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden profiles Marwan Barghouti, one of the chief organizers of the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank. Barghouti says he believes the violence will eventually create better conditions for peace talks with Israel.

NPR's David Welna reports that numerous questions remain about the Senate race in Missouri. Missouri's Governor Mel Carnahan, died two weeks ago in a plane crash. Carnahan was the democratic opponent of Senator John Ashcroft. Carnahan's death, however, did not remove is name from the ballot, and now he's actually leading in the polls. Many are wondering what will happen if the state elects the deceased governor to the U.S. Senate.

With the U.S.S. Cole beginning its journey home from Yemen, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr looks at America's inability to respond to terrorism.

Tamara Keith of member station KQED reports on the contest in California's 20th district, which is 40 percent Latino. The district's Democratic incumbent, Cal Dooley, is running against Rich Rodriguez, a former broadcaster. Republicans are hoping that Rodriguez's heritage will help him connect with Latino voters...most of whom are registered as Democrats.

Kate Seelye reports on how Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories are using the Internet to keep Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and elsewhere up-to-date on the intifada . The project is sponsored by the West Bank's Bir Zeit University. So far, three refugee camps are on-line, and plans are underway to include many more.

NPR's Peter Overby reports on how one group, the Sierra Club is makings its voice heard in the 2000 Presidential campaign by making issue ads. With no limit on what interest groups can collect and spend, issue ads are often one way they advocate for their preferred candidate. Vice President Al Gore is the beneficiary of the issue ad campaign by the Sierra Club, an environmental group.

William Marcus of Montana Public Radio profiles Pete Fromm author of How All This Started, his latest book. The book describes the heart-wrenching struggles of a family dealing with manic depression, and the intuitive bond between a brother and his sister. (7:00) {Stations: Pete Fromm's latest book How All This Started is published by Picador USA; ISBN: 0312209339}

Former theater critic Frank Rich. He's just published his memoir Ghost Light, (Random House). In it he examines the influence of his childhood on his adult career: his parents' divorce and an early curiosity for theater. He was chief drama critic for the New York Times from 1980-1983 and has been an op-ed columnist for that paper since 1994. He lives in New York City.