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The House of Representatives approved today the main portion of President Bush's $1.6 trillion tax cut. Republican leaders were exultant about passing the president's prize proposal in record time. The vote followed party lines, despite weeks of courtship by the White House. And the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where a bipartisan group of centrists is insisting on modifications. NPR's David Welna reports.

Maxwell Taylor Kennedy is the youngest son of the late Robert Kennedy. He edited a collection of his father's private journal entries called Make Gentle The Life of this World: The Vision of Robert F. Kennedy. He reads from the speech his father gave on the night that Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated. (REBROADCAST from 6

NPR's Margot Adler reports on what some are decrying as the "suburbanization" of New York City. She talks to one design critic who laments that national franchises are replacing the city's local greasy spoons, coffeehouses and boutiques, and taking over street-life. (6:40

NPR's Renee Montagne reports on a group of six Thai elephants that have been honing their musical abilities. They just released their first CD. Hear a song from that CD entitled Temple Music. You can find out more at www.mulatta.org. (6:43-8:20)

NPR's Nina Totenberg reports on a Supreme Court decision that hospitals cannot reinstate a practice of testing pregnant patients for drugs and turning over the results to the police, unless they get the woman's permission first. The justices ruled 6-3 that testing women who did not understand that the results could be used to prosecute them was a violation of the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches.

The jazz icon turns 85 on Dec. 6. He'll celebrate with a concert in London where he will be joined by the London Symphony. There are several recent collections of his work: The Dave Brubeck Collection, which reissues five of his classic out-of-print LPs, and Dave Brubeck: Time Signature: A Career Retrospective.

The fifth and final season of the acclaimed HBO drama The Wire has its season premiere Jan. 6. Fresh Air's TV critic has a preview.

Writer RICHARD FORD. His book "Independence Day" (Knopf) has just won a Pulitzer Prize, as well as a National Book Critics Circle Award. It's the sequel to FORD's "The Sportswriter" FORD is also the author of "Wildlife," "The Ultimate Good Luck," "A Piece of My Heart," and "Rock Springs." (REBROADCAST from 6

Noah Adams talks with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, who's happily playing the blues at 72. He has a new album out called Long Way Home. Gatemouth is on the album by some new and old friends like Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Ry Cooder and Maria Maldon. [GITANES JAZZ PRODUCTIONS] (6:00) (IN S

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that a jury in Brooklyn has ordered computer maker Digital Equipment to pay nearly $6 million to three women who suffered disabling injuries from working on Digital's computer keyboards. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say this is the first time such a suit has succeeded. Digital says it will appeal the decision.