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Electricity deregulation was supposed to bring Californians lower prices. Instead they've gotten higher prices and unreliable service. Scott Horsley of member station KPBS reports on why this happened, including mistaken judgements in planning the big change and the fact that electricity cannot be stored to meet market demand.

News analyst Daniel Schorr says the latest attempt at renewing middle east peace talks faces many hazards. President Clinton called Wednesday the deadline for the two sides to demonstrate enough potential to work towards another summit. Prime Minister Barak faces a deadline of February 6 when Israelis vote on whether or not to keep him in office---and Yasser Arafat faces the prospect of having to deal with Ariel Sharon, should Barak lose the election.

Neda Ullaby reports on the recent history of Anti-Christmas tunes. From Bananarama to Dr. Demento, many musicians have had it with the traditional carol and are ready to express their Christmas angst.

Karal Ann Marling, author of Merry Christmas: Celebrating America's Greatest Holiday, explains the history behind wrapping paper, with the help of readings from advice columns and other periodicals from the past. Marling says gifts weren't always wrapped in paper. That tradition began in the early 1900's when people began to use white tissue paper and red ribbon.

Susan Gage of Florida Public Radio reports on the 25 people who cast the state's contentious electoral votes for George W. Bush. Electors say they've been in a bright and unexpected spotlight in the weeks since the election.

NPR's Pam Fessler reports on George W. Bush's meetings today with the man he will succeed -- President Bill Clinton -- and the man he defeated for the job, Vice President Al Gore. As he did during yesterday's meetings with congressional leaders, Bush said he was "here to listen."

NPR's Jackie Northam reports that the FCC is auctioning off part of the airwave spectrum. The band that's up for grabs is intended for wireless communication providers, and should mean stronger and clearer connections for cell phone users. It will also give the industry room to develop the next generation of wireless services.

From member station WBGO Andrew Meyer reports that five police officers in Orange, New Jersey have been found guilty of civil rights violations in the beating and pepper-spraying of a man wrongly suspected of killing a officer.

NPR's Mary Ann Akers reports that the Bridgestone/Firestone company is blaming a faulty tire design and manufacturing processes at an Illinois factory for defective tires linked to 148 traffic deaths. After a four-month investigation, the tire maker cited the design of the 15-inch ATX tires and the unique way the rubber was processed at its Decatur, Illinois, plant. But the report also puts some blame on the Ford Explorer. Many of the accidents involved Explorers fitted with the Firestone tires. The report says Ford's recommended pressure for the tires was too low.

NPR's Jon Hamilton reports on the largest study to date on cell phones and the risk of cancer. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute looked at the risk of brain cancers among people who were regular users of cell-phones for an average of about three years. They found no evidence that regular users had a higher rate of brain cancer - but the scientists say some of the findings are troublesome enough to warrant further research. The study appears in tomorrow's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.