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In Egypt, reformers were gratified when the government approved a new, liberal political party last year, hoping there might be a loosening of President Hosni Mubarak's hold on office. But the Tomorrow party's push for a true multi-party vote was met with a government crackdown.

A top Palestinian official says he's hopeful that a "small window" of opportunity exists for peace with Israel in the wake of this month's cease-fire agreement. But Nabil Shaath, foreign minister for the Palestinian Authority, says Israel is moving too slowly on several issues.

Preparations are underway for Medicare, the program for the elderly, to launch a new prescription drug benefit in 2006. Meanwhile, Medicaid -- the federal and state program for the poor -- takes center stage in what's expected to be a major budget fight. Hear NPR's Julie Rovner.

Overweight "couch potatoes" burn fewer calories a day because they sit more than their naturally lean counterparts, who tend to be more fidgety and restless, a new study shows. The findings suggest small changes in daily activity could have a major impact on weight loss.

In an expected vote in the Senate Wednesday, 30 of the 45 Democrats plan to oppose the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as the next attorney general. Democrats accuse Gonzales of having played a leading role in providing legal grounds for the torture of foreign detainees.

Robert Siegel talks with Alicia Munnell of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and Kent Smetters of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Munnell and Smetters, both former Treasury Department officials, address questions about Social Security.

Washington, D.C., saw its homicide rate fall to 198 murders in 2004, down from 248 murders in the previous year. While the nation's capital and other cities have seen a drop in the annual number of murders, others have not.

The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales' nomination as attorney general. Committee Democrats are expected to focus on Gonzales's role in drafting controversial memos that redefined torture. Hear NPR's Nina Totenberg.

Longer than three football fields, freighters ply the Great Lakes hauling iron ore, coal, stone and a crew of hard-working men who consider the skill of the cook before signing up for duty. Hidden Kitchens explores life and food aboard the Great Lakes freighters.

NPR's Melissa Block talks with six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong about his plans for the coming year, the controversy over doping in cycling, and what the success of the "Live Strong" bracelet campaign has meant to him.