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The Senate agreement is now before the House, which needs to act by midnight to avert a shutdown. The deal appears to include almost every health priority Democrats have been pushing in recent months.

Many judicial nominations remain stalled in the Senate, and it will take more than rhetoric to break the logjam. Conservative groups have traditionally lavished big money on judicial contests. But now Democratic lobbyist Robert Raben is pushing back. He has created a PAC to donate to senators who advance progressive nominees. It has only raised a pittance so far, but the idea is to bundle donations from lawyers all over the country and counteract some of that conservative money.

New York has implemented a containment zone around New Rochelle, where coronavirus cases have been diagnosed. In Washington state, employees at 10 long-term care facilities have tested positive.

Jeanine Pirro is the latest Fox News personality to join the Trump administration. She will serve as the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., replacing Ed Martin whose confirmation ran into problems in the Senate.

The Bush administration approves a policy that could make it more difficult for Medicaid patients to receive emergency care. Federal law had required managed-care plans covering Medicare and Medicaid to cover trips to emergency rooms for those patients. The new Bush policy permits some limits on Medicaid ER use. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

NPR's Steve Inskeep reports from the Capitol on Senate passage of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill. By a vote of 59-to-41, the Senate approved the measure. The House has passed similar campaign finance reform bills in the past, but opponents of this one hope to slow it down, at least. (4:26) For moe NPR News coverage of campaign finance reform, check out Money, Power & Influence.

Talk of tax cuts continues to dominate both chambers of Congress. The tax writing committee of the House this week approved a second phase of President Bush's proposed $1.6 trillion package of tax cuts, this one eliminating the so-called marriage penalty and increasing the child tax credit. But on the Senate side, talk turned to another concept -- the granting of a swift tax rebate that might pump new money into the consumer economy relatively quickly. No sooner did one Republican mention the idea than several leading Democrats adopted it. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

NPR's Brian Naylor reports that, before adjournment, Congress voted to limit the development of low power radio. Low power stations broadcast within an area of four to seven miles, and are meant to benefit schools, churches and others in a local community. Broadcaster groups, including NPR, have said those new stations could interfere with currently licensed FM broadcasters. The omnibus spending bill approved by Congress and sent to President Clinton includes a ban on removing the cushions that protect individual FM signals, except in nine test markets.

Like most states, Illinois is struggling with a severe teacher shortage. And, also like most states, that shortage is felt most profoundly in the area...

The FIRST Robotics Competition has evolved from a fascinating after-school activity to having an impact on the tech and engineering world, involving tens of thousands of teens across the globe.