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Liane talks with Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer, who has released her first solo album in the US, You Were Here. Harmer performed previously with the indie rock band Weeping Tile and put out three records with them, but never thought of herself as a solo artist. All that changed when she recorded a collection of old jazz and country songs as a gift for her dad. It became the album Songs for Clem, which garnered her critical attention and a record contract. (NOTE: SARAH HARMER'S ALBUM YOU WERE HERE IS AVAILABLE ON ROUNDER RECORDS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HARMER'S ALBUM SONGS FOR CLEM VISIT HER WEBSITE AT www.SARAHHARMER.COM)

Pioneering journalist Marvel Cooke died this past November at the age of 99. She was the first African-American to work for a major daily newspaper in New York. From her base in Harlem she covered many of the major political and cultural stories of her era. Host Lisa Simeone talks with historian Roger Wilkins, a nephew of Marvel Cooke.

Tomorrow, January 7th, is Orthodox Christmas. Weekend All Things Considered essayist Madeline Hnatowich-Dean recalls the day when she was eight years old and played the accordion in the Christmas pageant at St. Mary's Russian Orthodox Church in Stamford, Connecticut.

Lisa talks to Chris Thomas King, a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Louisiana who's on the cutting edge of the blues. Chris Thomas King talks about his music, and about his role in the new Coen Brothers' movie, Oh Brother Where Art Thou? King's latest cd is Me, My Guitar and the Blues. (Blind Pig Records BPCD 5064)

A sound montage of some of the voices in this past week's news, including astronomer Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory; House Speaker Dennis Hastert (Republican, Illinois) and Representative Henry Hyde (Republican, Illinois); Vice President Al Gore presiding over a joint session of Congress where the electoral votes were formally tallied; Lyle Gramley, a consultant for the Mortgage Bankers Association and a former Federal Reserve board member; President-elect George W. Bush introducing his final three cabinet choices: Spencer Abraham as Secretary of Energy, Linda Chavez as Secretary of Labor, and Norman Mineta as Secretary of Transportation; and President Bill Clinton announcing a ban on logging and new roads on 58.5 million acres covering 39 states.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports American Airlines is in talks to acquire Trans World Airlines, as part of a complex deal in which American would also agree to buy significant assets from US Airways. No deal is certain and the talks may still fall apart. TWA is the nation's eighth-largest airline. It has struggled for years and would have to file bankruptcy for a third time before any deal could go forward.

The 1939 recording by Glenn Miller and his orchestra remains a classic, and one of the most influential songs of the 20th century.

President-elect George W. Bush met today in Austin with top leaders from both parties on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The group talked about the Bush administration's plans for re-energizing the nation's military. As a candidate for president, Bush said military morale could be improved with higher pay and a redefined mission. NPR's Steve Inskeep has this story.

NPR's Rob Gifford tells us about an former American prisoner of war who after being taken captive during the Korean war, remained in Asia even after he was freed. Now fifty years later he still lives in China.

NPR's Michael Sullivan reports on the Afghan refugee crisis. Even though the border is technically closed, Afghan refugees are streaming into Pakistan, fleeing drought, war and winter. Aid agencies are finding it difficult to cope.