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A radicial approach to boost scores on state standardized tests is being tried by the Kansas City-Missouri School District--inviting students to study on Saturdays. Laura Spencer of member station KCUR in Kansas City reports that if scores don't improve, the state will take over the school district.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports that the National Basketball Association's 50th All-Star game will be played in Washington D.C. on Sunday. The league has many stars, but no transcendent superstar has emerged since the retirement of Michael Jordan. One leading candidate is Allen Iverson, a guard for the Philadelphia 76ers who is known as much for his profane outbursts and violent rap lyrics as for his wondrous play.

The Library of America has published a two-volume collection of Edith Wharton's stories. Host Lisa Simeone talks with Maureen Howard, the editor of the collection who reads from Wharton's works.

NPR's Sara Chayes reports on Malcom Miller, an Englishman who has made his life's work to learn, and tell, the history of France's Chartres Cathedral. Since the 1950's, Miller has given tours of the 12th Century cathedral located near Paris.

African American poet Cornelius Eady has published seven poetry collections, and was recently nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. His latest, Brutal Imagination (Putnam) is a cycle of poems that revisits the Susan Smith child murder case through the voice of the imaginary black man she said carjacked and kidnapped her children. From New York, Tom Vitale reports.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on Israeli Prime-Minister-elect Ariel Sharon's efforts to build a national unity government. Sharon's Likud party holds only 19 out of 120 seats in the Israeli Parliament, and many Israelis say that Sharon must include the defeated Labor party in his government in order to accomplish anything.

The Patients' Bill of Rights is back on the agenda of the U.S. Congress. Host Lisa Simeone speaks with NPR's Health Policy reporter Julie Rovner about the legislation and the disagreements between Capitol Hill and the White House that are preventing the bill from becoming law.

Tamara Keith reports from Half Moon Bay in Northern California about how the energy crisis is affecting flower growers working up the rose crop for Valentines Day.

On Friday night a United States submarine surfaced off the coast of Hawaii and hit a Japanese fishing boat. The boat carried Japanese students and teachers from Uwajima Fisheries High School. Nine people are still missing. Host Lisa Simeone talks with Damon Erickson who teaches English at the school, located on the southern Japanese island Shikoku.

Essayist and California resident Madeline Hnatowich-Dean considers the possibility of another day without electric power.