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Credit card companies and other lenders have spent millions of dollars in recent years lobbying for changes in the nation's bankruptcy laws. Today, the bill that would strengthen creditors ability to collect is expected to pass a crucial test in the Senate on its way to becoming law. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

NPR's Peter Overby reports on the upcoming Senate debate on campaign finance. The popular McCain-Feingold bill banning soft money contributions will be discussed, and President Bush is scheduled to release a statement outlining his position on the issue within a week.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports on the controversy surrounding the autopsy records of Dale Earnhart. Florida law puts autopsy reports in the public domain, but the wife of the late NASCAR driver wants to keep them private.

NPR's Martin Kaste reports on the success of Brazil's AIDS program. Alone among developing nations, Brazil has provided AIDS drugs to nearly all who need them. That's cut the death rate from AIDS in half. The success is due to the country's aggressive policies on allowing generic copies of expensive brand name drugs. The international pharmaceutical industry has tolerated the situation until recently. Now the country faces a major trade dispute over its policy on AIDS drugs.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports the Nasdaq bounced back a bit from its steep fall yesterday. The Dow industrials spent most of the day in negative territory. Stock prices have plummeted in recent weeks because of a string of disappointing earnings reports from major technology companies.

Reaction from around the country to the dips in the stock market.

NPR's Rob Gifford reports that the U.S. Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces is visiting China. The communist country is warning the U.S. not to develop its planned national missile defense program, or to sell arms to Taiwan.

Tom Trowbridge reports that the governor of New Mexico is championing a bill that would make it legal to possess small amounts of marijuana in the state. The measure is now before the state's legislature. Lawmakers from both parties are lobbying for the bill, which if it passes, will be the first time the possession of marijuana has been legalized in 20 years.

Scott Horsley of member station KPBS reportson fast-food chains' actions to protect their hamburgers -- and their profits -- from the effects of mad cow disease.

NPR's Barbara Bradley reports that the recent FBI spy scandal has caused the agency to consider testing its employees more often with polygraphs. The benefit is that a spy has less chance to pass information to the enemy. The cost is that a false-positive rate of about 15 percent can ruin the lives of innocent people.