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NPR's Andy Bowers reports that unless there's a last-minute deal, California water users are about to be put on a crash diet. U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton says she will curtail California's chronic overuse of Colorado River water on Jan. 1 -- 12 years earlier than planned -- because the state has no plan in place for weaning itself of water overuse. Water district managers say they can use reserves for up to two years to manage the immediate impact.

It's been a year since Enron collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. Many of the more than 4,000 people who lost jobs in Houston managed to find work, but fully a third did not. Goodwyn profiles one of the lucky ones, Phyllis Anzalone. Anzalone used the collapse of Enron to launch her own business and she's doing well. Her company specializes in helping other companies buy electricity on the cheap. NPR'S Wade Goodwyn reports from Houston. (4:15)

Kerry Seed reports on Mel Clarrage's campaign to land a new job. Clarrage lost his job more than a year ago and his unemployment benefits have run out. Clarrage is a former vocational counselor, so he knows what to do. He has been networking and following up with prospective employers for a year now -- but with no luck. But Clarrage is blind, so he faces greater obstacles than the typical job-seeker. He is relentlessly optimistic, though, and convinced that he will find a new job soon.

NPR's Tovia Smith reports on today's raid of a Boston high-tech firm called Ptech Inc. to investigate allegations it is secretly funded by a Saudi businessman who is designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist financier. The firm's clients include the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. House of Representatives. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge says there is no evidence the company has posed a threat to national security. No one has been arrested, and no charges have been filed.

Host Bob Edwards talks to reporter James Brosnan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal about Bill Frist, the man who's expected to become Senate majority leader. Sen. Frist (R-TN) is a medical doctor and relative latecomer to politics. He has close ties to President Bush and is considered one of the Republican Party's foremost experts on health care issues.

The Pentagon warns North Korea the United States is capable of dealing with more than one threat at a time. The warning follows North Korea's removal over the weekend of monitoring gear from a nuclear facility. U.S. officials want the equipment replaced so it can be used to ensure the country isn't reprocessing spent fuel for nuclear weapons. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

Journalist Christopher Kremmer spent 10 years reporting from South and Central Asia, where he developed a love for the carpets made in the region. His new book, The Carpet Wars, celebrates the time he spent with the local carpet merchants and the many souvenirs he acquired. Kremmer and Steve talk about the history and culture behind the area's second largest industry. (Carpet Wars is published by Ecco Press; ISBN: 0060097329.)(8:32)

Michele Norris reports on caring for elderly Holocaust survivors. The men and women who survived the Holocaust during World War II are now seniors. As they grow older, many are unable to suppress those painful memories. This phenomenon is especially true for survivors with Alzheimer's or age-related dementia. They're losing their short-term memory, and the past slowly is becoming their present. Michele met a group of independent social workers who are trying to help doctors and other health care professionals understand the unique needs of this elderly population.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports that city leaders and residents of Oakland, Calif., are trying to cope with more than 100 murders this past year, the highest number since the early '90s. Mayor Jerry Brown blames ex-cons involved in drug-turf battles, and has announced a crackdown on repeat offenders. Police have been issued a list of the city's 100 most dangerous men. In the city's poorest neighborhoods, volunteers are making their own efforts to stop the killings.

In the second of three reports, NPR's Joe Palca examines why Britain is eagerly pursuing embryonic stem-cell research, while the United States hesitates. Parliament has consistently supported Prime Minister Tony Blair's position that stem-cell research holds the key to cures for various diseases. There are far fewer religious and moralistic impediments in Britain, compared to the United States, where the Bush administration has reluctantly agreed to allow limited, privately-funded research to go forward.