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The Senate is expected to begin debate next week on the latest version of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. This year, the sponsors think they have enough votes to choke off a filibuster. But some of the Democratic-leaning interest groups, such as labor unions, are having second thoughts about new provisions in the legislation this time around. NPR's Peter Overby reports.

Joshua Levs reports that authorities in DeKalb County, Ga., are conducting their largest investigation ever into the murder of Derwin Brown. Brown was the sheriff-elect when he was gunned down in his driveway in December, three days before he would have taken office. Brown had promised to overhaul operations at the county jail, which he called a cesspool of corruption. Thirty-six detectives are on the case, but so far no murder suspects have been named. Three men have been charged with lying to investigators.

Demand has soared for the type of dog that fatally attacked a California woman. Vincent Duffy of member station WKSU reports that breeders are resisting this new clientele who seek big, vicious dogs.

Commentator Paul Podolsky says the dive in the stock market is a small hurdle for the savvy new breed of new economy traders.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that U.S. stock prices tumbled yesterday amid investor concerns about technology earnings. The NASDAQ composite index has now declined by 60-percent since its high last March. There's concern that confidence has fallen to the point where prices may not rebound as quickly as in the past.

Bob Edwards talks with Andrew Chaiken , editor of Space Illustrated Magazine, about NASA's decision to cancel development of a spacecraft known as the X-33. It was intended to be a replacement for the space shuttle.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR's Tom Gjelten about the U.S. Navy's accidental bombing of observers during training exercises in Kuwait.

NPR's Barbara Bradley reports that the Justice Department has given a federal prosecutor in New York jurisdiction to investigate all of then-President Clinton's last-minute pardons. Attorney General John Ashcroft has given U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White authority to look into any claims that cash or other benefits were exchanged for pardons.

It's been a rough month for organized labor, as Congress repealed workplace rules on repetitive stress and the Bush administration intervened to forestall threatened strikes against airlines. In the months ahead, congressional leaders are promising more hard looks at laws and regulations favored by the unions. Labor weighed in heavily during the election campaign on behalf of Democratic candidates, but union leaders still seem stunned at how far and how fast their standing in Washington has fallen. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Tania Garcia, a high school student in Oakland, Calif., says that standardized tests are a waste of her time. She spends lots of time studying to make sure that she really understands her subjects, and the tests only measure how many facts she knows.