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item veto bill today. It will allow a president to eliminate specific items in spending legislation, as well as very narrow tax loopholes and new entitlements. The new law, which presidents have called for for decades, goes into effect next January and will expire in eight years unless Congress extends it. Proponents say it will help cut the deficit. But NPR's Mara Liasson reports that many analysts are skeptical about the line-item veto's effectiveness.

Rep. Greg Laughlin of southeast Texas, a four-term Democrat who became a Republican last year, lost his party's primary last night. House leaders had awarded Laughlin a seat on the Ways and Means committee, and nationally prominent Republicans had campaigned aggressivley for him, but he was beaten by Ron Paul, a former Libertarian candidate for president. Today Democrats were quick to call Laughlin's defeat a sign of things to come for the other four party-switchers in the House. But Republicans say the dynamics of a very individual race were to blame. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

Charles Scanlon previews South Korea's parliamentary elections that will beheld tomorrow. The public has been disaffected from the ruling party because of a corruption scandal. But tensions with North Korea may give the government a last-minute boost.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports that Israel today carried out a series of air raids in Lebanon, including an attack on a Beirut suburb. At least five Lebanese were reported killed in the raids. It's the first Israeli raid against the Lebanese capital in 14 years.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Sarajevo on the efforts to re-build Bosnia's economy and infrastructure. After three-and-a-half years of war, there are no jobs, no industry, housing is limited and the country's transportation, water and electricity infrastructure is wrecked. The World Bank estimates the cost for rebuilding Bosnia at more than five-billion-dollars.

NPR's Lynn Neary reporter.

The internet may test our rules for what on-line democracy means..but our commentator Stuart Cheifet says this industry may provide us with an ideal candidate for president.

NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports on the diplomatic tangle with China over its failure to curb counterfeiting of American intellectual property. Computer software, CDs, and numerous other easily copied goods continue to pour out of China a year after the Chinese government agreed to crack down on this trade. American companies say they're losing billions, but they don't speak with one voice. Microsoft, for example, wants sanctions, but Boeing fears the Chinese will retaliate by buying planes elsewhere.