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The top of 14,000-foot Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano on the big island of Hawaii, is one of the last best places to do astronomy. But astronomers now have devised a way to make "the seeing," as they call it, even better. Join NPR's Christopher Joyce for a visit to Mauna Kea.

Baghdad's nearly 5 million residents prepare for a war that seems inevitable. The streets of Baghdad are surprisingly calm, and a top aide to Saddam Hussein appears in public to refute rumors he had defected. NPR's Anne Garrels reports.

As Secretary of State, Retired General Colin Powell will shift from being an advocate for the military to becoming the nation's top diplomat. NPR's Tom Gjelten looks at Powell's past recommendations as one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about military intervention in hot spots around the world.

Commentator Marion Winik has thoughts on those traditional holiday letters so many people feel they must write at this time of year, and a few suggestions. For instance, drop the "Dear Everyone" and replace it with a real headline. Instead of anecdotes, try one good paragraph. Maybe include a top ten list or a haiku.

These days we live in informal times. First names are in, and formal titles are going the way of the top hat. Commentator Elissa Ely isn't sure she likes the change.

The New York Times reports that the Bush administration has created a hit list of top al Qaeda operatives, authorizing the CIA to use lethal force. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says this bends the longstanding executive order prohibiting assassination.

NPR's Guy Raz in Berlin reports on the growing popularity of Germany's ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens. Even though the Greens are the junior partner in the coalition, the party has managed to make the environment a top policy priority.

Host Bob Edwards talks with commentator John Feinstein about the Australian Open. This year the tennis tournament saw surprise winners in both the men's and women's brackets. Jennifer Capriati easily beat top-seeded Martina Hingis and Andre Aggasi defeated Frenchman Arnaud Clement.

The Break Bakers Build Team USA has won the top prize at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, a grueling Olympic-style competition held in Paris every three years.

In Fremont, Calif., immigrant students are earning top grades, and their affluent parents are threatening to create their own school in order to keep standards high. Hear NPR's Claudio Sanchez.