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The clear front-runner to replace Sen. Lott (R-MS) as Republican leader is Tennessee's Bill Frist, the Senate's only physician. A political novice elected to the Senate on his first run for office in 1994, Frist has enjoyed a rapid rise during his brief legislative career. And as NPR's Julie Rovner reports, having a health expert at the helm of a Senate that's expected to take on a number of high-profile medical issues doesn't hurt, either.

U.N. nuclear inspectors kicked out of communist North Korea make a stop in China en route to the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna. The expulsions follow North Korea's move to revive a nuclear facility. Russia condemns the action, but China takes a more measured approach. NPR's Rob Gifford reports.

The New York City police department asks a federal judge for permission to spy on political groups, before having evidence of wrongdoing. The police department says the increased powers are necessary in order to fight terrorism. Critics say existing rules are flexible enough to give police the latitude they need. Marianne McCune reports.

An experimental drug shows promise in the treatment of the immune-system disorders multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease. Studies in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest the drug's approach may be effective against a wide-range of immune disorders. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

A commission in Georgia says the state has failed to provide legal defense for the poor, violating both the U.S. and state constitution. The 26-member panel calls the system badly organized, with poor people sitting in jail for weeks without seeing a lawyer, even for minor offenses. Emily Kopp of Georgia Public Radio reports.

Spurred by North Korea's decision to restart its weapons program and expel U.N. inspectors monitoring its main nuclear complex, Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States is willing to talk to North Korea -- if it changes its behavior. NPR's Janet Babin reports.

Outgoing South Korean President Kim Dae Jung says isolating communist North Korea is not the way to get the communist state to abandon its plans to restart its nuclear program. He urges dialogue with Pyongyang, echoing statements made by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.

The recording industry's trade association says 2002 amounts to a terrible year for the major labels. According to preliminary estimates, the number of records sold this year may have fallen by 10 percent. That follows a 10-percent decline in 2001 and a seven-percent drop the year before. NPR's Rick Karr reports.

After a decade of service in Russia, the U.S. Peace Corps has been asked to leave. The Corps had already scaled back its mission -- there are only 27 volunteers in the country now, compared to about 200 one year ago. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports on the political and economic factors behind the decision.

An icon in the world music scene reunites and releases the first new recording in over a decade. Senegal's Orchestra Baobab had been on a 15-year hiatus, and now they're making a splash with their first tour of the United States. Banning Eyre reports. Orchestra Baobob, Specialist in All Styles Nonesuch ASIN: B00006JIAP Orchestra Baobob, Pirates Choice Nonesuch ASIN: B00005UPF7