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Alex Van Oss visits the nation's oldest lending library, the 250-year-old Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport, Rhode Island. Still in its original neo-classical building, the Redwood is steeped in history and contains numerous antique books. Heirloom portraits and Greek sculptures adorn the hallways. Thomas Jefferson was an early visitor. Henry and William James were regular brousers, as were Edith Wharton, Emma Lazarus, and Julia Ward Howe.

NPR's Cheryl Corley reports that the Chicago chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Republican Presidential Candidate George W. Bush. Some say the endorsement is meant as a political statement against city's current administration. Police have been upset with Mayor Richard M. Daley because of on-going contract disputes. Daley's brother, William, is Vice President Al Gore's campaign chairman.

The Tacoma, Wash., gun store that once owned the rifle linked to the Washington, D.C.-area sniper attacks is unable to account for 340 guns once in its inventory, The Seattle Times reports. Hear former ATF agent William Vizzard. Oct. 30, 2002.

SEC chief Harvey Pitt resists calls to resign. Democrats question Pitt's handling of ex-FBI and CIA Director William Webster, whose nomination to head an accounting oversight board is under a cloud. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

Wall Street cheers the resignation of SEC chief Harvey Pitt. Pitt's departure -- and the resignation of the agency's chief accountant -- could imperil the appointment of ex-FBI and CIA director William Webster to head an accounting oversight board. Hear more from NPR's Scott Simon and Joe Nocera, executive editor of Fortune magazine.

Some observers are pinning Democratic losses in the midterm elections on low turnout by black voters. Analysts cite a lack of campaign focus on domestic issues among factors that kept some voters home. NPR's Juan Williams reports.

The state of Virginia will have first chance to try sniper suspects John Allen Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17. U.S. Attorney General Ashcroft orders Muhammad transferred to Prince William County, Va. Malvo will also face trial in Virginia, where his youth would not disqualify him from a possible death sentence. NPR's News reports.

Accused sniper John Lee Malvo, 17, is ordered held without bail after a hearing Friday in Fairfax County, Va. A preliminary hearing was held earlier in the day in Prince William County, Va., for 41-year-old John Allen Muhammad, the other suspect in a string of killings in the Washington, D.C. area and the Deep South. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

Robert talks with Dr. Robert Williams, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, about newly discovered information about galaxies. Based on preliminary data captured by the Hubble telescope, there are believed to be 5 times as many galaxies as we thought until now. Instead of 10 billion galaxies, the sample of the universe studied suggests there are more like 50 billion. Also, the galaxies closer to us are more distinct in shape. The older galaxies, 8 to 10 billion light years from earth, are amorphous in shape.

Author ANDREW HOLLERAN. His latest novel, "The Beauty of Men" (William Morrow), is about a gay man in his late forties who is obsessed with the beauty of youth and his own mortality. At the same time, he harbors guilt for mourning the loss of his youth when so many around him are dying young. Holleran, whose real name is not known, has written two other novels under the pseudonym and is a frequent contributor to "Christopher Street" magazine

Daniel talks with William Quandt, former Middle East Advisor on the National Security Council, about the Israeli-Palestinian fight for control of East Jerusalem. Negotiations will begin soon over who will rule the ancient city. This past week, Israel announced that it would break ground on a new housing project especially earmarked for Jews. Quandt, currently Professor of Government at the Univerity of Virginia, says Israel is trying to predetermine the outcome of those negotiations by creating immovable "facts on the ground."

Two members of the Dallas Cowboys football team are being investigated on charges of sexual assault. A twenty-three year old woman has accused offensive lineman Erik Williams and wide reciever Michael Irvin of assaulting her. The investigation is the latest in a series of legal troubles for members of the Dallas Cowboys. Glenn Mitchell of member station KERA in Dallas reports on the charges, and what they might mean for the Cowboys, who are preparing for Sunday's second-round playoff game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

President Clinton's choice for defense secretary, retiring Senator William Cohen, is expected to win easy confirmation by the Senate. The Senate usually embraces nominations of former members. Plus, Cohen is a Republican, seeking the approval of the GOP-led body. Democrats are expected to support the appointment, in part because Cohen has been independent during his three terms, opposing Republican leaders on issues including the Iran-Contra affair. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold has a profile.

Former CIA and FBI chief William Webster, named to head an oversight board for the accounting industry, concedes he may have to step down because of questions about his ties to a key firm. The board holds its first meeting next week. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

A new book about Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, shows the personal and financial damage the Sept. 11 attacks caused the company. On Top of the World discusses how the brokerage firm survived after losing most of its employees in the terrorist attacks. NPR's Juan Williams reports.

Later this month and new online service called Questia will debut. It will provide a library containing 50,000 volumes of literature, scholarly journals and texts. The company hopes to eventually reach 250,000 volumes in the next three years. Questia is targeted mostly to students and will allow them to cross-reference, footnote and do a bibliography all online. Robert talks with Troy Williams, the CEO and President of Questia Media, about the new company and what it has taken to get started.

Host Madeleine Brand talks with the president of the United Nations Association of the USA, William Luers, about the United States' loss of its seat on the U.N.'s Commission for Human Rights. The U.N. Economic and Social Council voted yesterday not to re-elect the U.S. to the commission. This is the first time since the commission's creation in 1947 that the U.S. has not held a position on it.

From the Library of Congress, Recording Sound Specialist, Samuel Brylawski and Acquisition Specialist Cooper Graham. The two compiled a collection of presidential speeches dating back 85 years Historic Presidential Speeches (1908-1993) (on Rhino/World Beat label). It begins with William Howard Taft, recorded during the presidential campaign of 1908. (REBROADCAST from 11

As our series on jazz continues, Farai Chideya uncovers the remaining American jazz meccas and finds out how live venues have shaped the art of jazz. Joining in are Ron Sturm, owner of the Iridium Jazz Club; musician Dennis Winslett; and Peter Williams, artistic director of Yoshi's Jazz Club.

The U.S. Supreme Court makes final rulings on a number of high-profile cases before its summer recess, including separate rulings on displays of the Ten Commandments in Kentucky (no) and Texas (yes). One analyst described the court's rulings as "splitting the baby." Meanwhile, ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist gave no indication that he plans to retire.