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As Secretary of State, Retired General Colin Powell will shift from being an advocate for the military to becoming the nation's top diplomat. NPR's Tom Gjelten looks at Powell's past recommendations as one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about military intervention in hot spots around the world.

Commentator Marion Winik has thoughts on those traditional holiday letters so many people feel they must write at this time of year, and a few suggestions. For instance, drop the "Dear Everyone" and replace it with a real headline. Instead of anecdotes, try one good paragraph. Maybe include a top ten list or a haiku.

NPR's Guy Raz in Berlin reports on the growing popularity of Germany's ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens. Even though the Greens are the junior partner in the coalition, the party has managed to make the environment a top policy priority.

Host Bob Edwards talks with commentator John Feinstein about the Australian Open. This year the tennis tournament saw surprise winners in both the men's and women's brackets. Jennifer Capriati easily beat top-seeded Martina Hingis and Andre Aggasi defeated Frenchman Arnaud Clement.

Unemployment benefits expire for nearly 800,000 Americans as a congressional logjam holds up a possible extension. The new Congress, which meets in January, is expected to take up the issue as a top priority. NPR's David Molpus reports.

NPR's Steve Inskeep reports on letters allegedly written by FBI agent Robert Phillip Hanssen -- letters that are now leading investigators to believe Hanssen has been supplying Russia with top-level U.S. security information for the past 15 years.

The Break Bakers Build Team USA has won the top prize at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, a grueling Olympic-style competition held in Paris every three years.

Pentagon top adviser and one of the chief architects of the war in Iraq, Douglas Feith, resigns. Feith, a staunch neo-conservative with close ties to Israel, is a controversial figure, especially for his role in the use of intelligence to justify the war in Iraq.

In Fremont, Calif., immigrant students are earning top grades, and their affluent parents are threatening to create their own school in order to keep standards high. Hear NPR's Claudio Sanchez.

As Al Gore's 2000 running mate, it might seem natural for Sen. Joseph Lieberman to try to distance himself from former President Clinton. But in an interview the Connecticut Democrat — seeking the top of the ticket in 2004 — doesn't hesitate to hail the former president's record.