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NPR's Peter Overby reports that most political contributions come from very few people. One of the areas of the country that has among the highest concentration of big-time donors is Greenwich, Connecticut. Some say residents there get special attention in return from the political establishment, and campaign finance reformers would like to limit how much money candidates can get from people who do not live in the areas they represent.

Commentator Jerry Landay teaches "issues in television" at the University of Illinois. He examines the use of paid political commercials. Paying for these spots is prohibitively expensive and means that some candidates, like those for state offices, spend all their time fundraising instead of pressing the flesh and talking about issues. The networks handing free time to presidential candidates is a step in the right direction, but that does nothing to help the little guy out there running for the state legislature.

Scott has some thoughts on the day which would have been Marilyn Monroe's 70th birthday.

NPR's Dan Charles reports on the work of a handful of researchers who believe in something called Cold Fusion. It's a complicated idea...involving the fusion of atoms and the subsequent release of enormous amounts of energy...all accomplished in a controlled and friendly environment. And it's controversial -- SO controversial that most scientists don't even think cold fusion is possible. Despite the sceptics, the search for cold fusion goes on.

Scott reads some listener comments.

NPR's Linda Gradstein reports on Israeli youth and how they might vote in next week's election. Whereas young people used to be more hawkish than their elders, the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in November has pushed them toward the Labor Party because, they say, it is the party more concerned with peace.

NPR's Martha Raddatz reports from Sarajevo on a change in the leadership among the Bosnian Serbs. Over the weekend, the leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadzic, [RAH-doh-van KARE-uh-jitch] decided to give up dealing with the international community. He appointed Biljana Plavsic [bee-YAH-nah PLAHV-sitch] to act for him. International observers say the change will not make it easier to deal with the Bosnian Serbs. Plavsic is known as a hard-liner who will probably continue Karadzic's policies.

NPR's John Ydstie reports that Iraq's acceptance of a U.N. plan that would allow Iraqi oil producers to export 2 billion dollars' worth of oil likely won't bring an immediate drop in the world's oil prices. But experts say U.S. consumers can expect to see lower prices at the gasoline pump in coming months as a result of the plan.

Scott and NPR's Daniel Schorr review the week's news.

- Israeli elections take place next Wednesday. Some half a million Israeli Arab votes could help decide the results. Although few Israeli Arabs are expected to vote for the Likud party, given the recent events in Lebanon, many are thinking twice about voting for Shimon Peres or voting at all. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.