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The enhanced payments expand the existing child tax credit to $3,000 from $2,000 and provide an extra $600 for kids under age 6.

Federal prosecutors say they will retry both Charles Keating and his son (Charles Keating, III) now that their convictions on federal fraud chages have been set aside by a federal judge. The elder Keating became a symbol of the Savings and Loan debacle after federal regulators seized Keating's Lincoln S&L, which cost taxpayers an estimated $2.6 billion. The convictions were overturned because members of the jury knew of and improperly discussed the elder Keating's earlier conviction on state fraud charges. That conviction has also been overturned.

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 David Welna reports on the Democratic tax-cut proposal. Led by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, Democrats are pushing for a $300 rebate to every taxpayer (and a $600 rebate to every couple), using about $60 billion from the budget surplus. They are also proposing an immediate cut in the lowest tax rate. Their proposal would be separate from President Bush's signature $1.6 trillion tax-cut plan, and Republicans fear that such a proposal would take the momentum away from Mr. Bush's program.

Hear lead singer Channy Leaneagh and the rest of this exciting Minneapolis band recorded live at the 9:30 Club on Nov. 6, 2013.

A gas station in Rancho Cordova was charging only 69 cents a gallon. The price was supposed to be $6.99. The mistake cost the station $16,000 and the manager his job.

Commissioners on the Sept. 11 panel call on the White House to declassify a presidential briefing dated Aug. 6, 2001. The document warned that Osama bin Laden was planning attacks inside the United States. In Thursday's testimony, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said that and other pre-Sept. 11 warnings were too vague to act on. Hear NPR's Pam Fessler.

Every year, the week of the Oscars, Brad Oltmanns and Rick Rosas, partners at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and about 12 counters go to an undisclosed location in Southern California and hand count all 6,000 ballots. It takes the team about three days to determine the Academy Award winners.

NPR's Wendy Schmeltzer reports on macular degeneration, a vision disorder that now afflicts roughly 1.7 million older Americans. Researchers who study vision loss believe that macular degeneration could impair the vision of over 6 million Americans within the next 30 years as the baby boom generation ages. Macular degeneration currently has no cure, but various social service organiations that work with the elderly are trying to help macular degeneration patients by teaching them ways to cope with their disability while remaining independent.

A report says Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) will step down as Senate Republican leader following a furor over remarks that seemed to endorse America's segregated past. Lott faced a Jan. 6 vote on his status as incoming majority leader and a challenge for the post from Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN). NPR News reports.