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In an effort to name the U.S. sports organization with the grandest tradition of losing, Commentator Frank Deford explains how the U.S. Olympic Committee continues to heap blunder on top of blunder, all the while hampering U.S. Olympic stature around the world.

Host Jacki Lyden talks with singer Aaron Neville about the ups and downs of his 30 year music career. Neville has just released Devotion, his first-ever collection of inspirational songs and a new book, The Brothers, which tells of his colorful past encompassing drug addiction, burglary and chart- topping records.

Throughout this campaign year, education has ranked among the top concerns of voters -- especially those suburban women who often cross party lines and decide electoral outcomes. NPR's David Welna went to the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights to talk to moms with school-age children in a neighborhood George W. Bush visited this week.

Number 21 on the Billboard top 100 this week: India Arie, with her first CD, Acoustic Soul. She has drawn impressive comparisons to Roberta Flack, Tracy Chapman and Bill Withers. Reviewer Sarah Bardeen says that Arie deserves the success. India Arie's Acoustic Soul is on Motown Records.

Today President Bush conferred with China Vice Premier Qian Qichen -- the highest ranking official from Beijing since the administration took office. Qian's top priority is waylaying the proposed sale of advanced anti-missile technology to Taiwan. The Bush administration must decide next month whether to make the sale. Human rights was also a topic of discussion.

Siobhan Armstrong is one of today's top Irish harpers. From the BBC Studios in Dublin, she plays a pair of tunes by the most famous of all Irish harpers, Turlough Carolan: "Carolan's Favorite Jig" and "Farewell to Music."

President Bush nominates Trade Representative Rob Portman as the White House budget director. Portman is a Washington insider and longtime friend of the president. Bush also selected Susan Schwab, the deputy trade representative, to move up to the top trade job, replacing Portman.

Two top executives and the outside auditor exit the federally backed mortgage giant Fannie Mae after the Securities and Exchange Commission finds fault with the company's accounting. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Mike McNamee of Business Week.

The year 2005 saw World Music grow in two directions: by exploring its most basic roots, and by exploring new areas, through technology and collaboration. Marco Werman give us a glimpse of his top picks of the year.

Farai Chideya talks with music writers Tom Terrell and Christina Roden about "Legends of African Music" — a collection of some of the continent's top artists featured in this month's Global Rhythm magazine.