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2: Actor SIR Ian McKellan. Since coming out in 1988, Britain's highly acclaimed Shakespearean actor has become an international voice for the gay and lesbian community. His role in Peter Shafer's "Amadeus" earned him a Tony Award in 1981. He has appeared in the popular films, "Last Action Hero" and "Six Degrees of Seperation." He's now starring in the film version of "Richard III." (REBROADCAST from 6

The Supreme Court sided with gay rights activists today by throwing out a Colorado constitutional amendment. The measure had said that laws could NOT be enacted that protected homosexuals from discrimination. The justices ruled against the amendment by a 6-to-3 vote. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that the majority opinion said the amendment would have denied gays a political right enjoyed by other people...the right to seek protection against discrimination.

TV personality Tom Arnold hosts FOX television's The Best Damn Sports Show Period. Arnold is probably best known for his marriage to Roseanne Barr. He was a writer, actor and executive producer on Roseanne, and starred in three tv shows of his own including The Jackie Thomas Show. He has a new memoir, How I Lost 5 Pounds in 6 Years (St. Martins Press).

Boston drivers celebrate the opening of a major section of a 3.5-mile tunnel that connects major highways in the congested downtown, shaving time off many commutes. The "Big Dig" took a dozen years to construct at a cost of $6.5 billion. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Rich Kirkland of Metro Network Shadow Broadcasting in Boston.

News analyst Daniel Schorr says the latest attempt at renewing middle east peace talks faces many hazards. President Clinton called Wednesday the deadline for the two sides to demonstrate enough potential to work towards another summit. Prime Minister Barak faces a deadline of February 6 when Israelis vote on whether or not to keep him in office---and Yasser Arafat faces the prospect of having to deal with Ariel Sharon, should Barak lose the election.

Host Bob Edwards talks with Robert Schmuhl, author of Statecraft and Stagecraft: American Political Life in the Age of Personality. They discuss tonight's speech by President Bush, his first address to Congress. (4:04) (Please note: The introduction to this interview misstates the size of President Bush's tax cut. The correct figure is $1.6 trillion.)

Linda Wertheimer talks with NPR's Don Gonyea, who is traveling with the president today, one day after Mr. Bush gave his budget address to a joint session of Congress. The president got good reviews on his oratory, but Democrats claim that the plan favors the rich. Mr. Bush, in visits around the country to sell his plan, insisted that the Democrats were playing "class warfare," and that the current state of the economy warrants his $1.6 trillion tax cut.

Chevron and two other oil companies announce that they have successfully tested a new oil well deep in the Gulf of Mexico. An exploratory oil rig, drilling to a record-setting depth and pressure, flowed at a rate of 6,000 barrels of crude oil per day, and the find has the potential to be a significant new energy source.

There was a standing ovation at baseball's Miller Park in Milwaukee this weekend, as a new athlete took the field for the first time. Standing about eight feet tall -- including his sombrero -- "El Picante" was the star of the show during the Brewers' 6th-inning entertainment: the sausage races.

Commissioners on the Sept. 11 panel call on the White House to declassify a presidential briefing dated Aug. 6, 2001. The document warned that Osama bin Laden was planning attacks inside the United States. In Thursday's testimony, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said that and other pre-Sept. 11 warnings were too vague to act on. Hear NPR's Pam Fessler.