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U.S. officials say the amount of Colombian cocaine that passes through Venezuela has doubled since the 1990s — making the country a key way station for Colombian drug traffickers. But Venezuelans say they're doing more than ever before to stop cocaine smuggling.

The Senate's version of the economic stimulus package would have expanded on the House version by including tax rebates for low-income seniors and disabled veterans, and extending unemployment benefits. But Republicans blocked the measure.

The bipartisan economic stimulus plan has run into a partisan wall in the Senate. Democratic leaders say they'll force votes next week on a number of amendments. They deal with food stamps and unemployment benefits — and whether to extend a tax rebate program to low-income seniors.

South Korean voters are set to go to the polls to elect a new president. But unlike most elections over the past 20 years, North Korea and its nuclear weapons are not a major issue. That's because of the Sunshine Policy which has included 10 years of engagement with North Korea.

One of the top priorities before Congress adjourns for the holidays is a bill that would prevent more than 20 million middle-class Americans from having to pay the alternative minimum tax in 2008. The Senate recently approved a repair to the rule, but neglected to pay for it with spending cuts.

Striking Hollywood screenwriters are still being creative and making funny, topical videos for the Internet. The videos make their argument for being paid when their work is online and in other new media. Their work is giving them an edge in the contract dispute with production studios.

Dan Kurtzer, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, discusses the prospects for next week's Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Md. Among the issues for leaders will be security for Israelis and Palestinians, Palestinian refugees and Israeli settlements.

More than any other food, oysters taste like the place they come from. Rowan Jacobsen, author of A Geography of Oysters, explains, describes and slurps his way through a sampling of succulent raw oysters.

Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, recently imposed emergency rule in the country, suspending the constitution and firing the Supreme Court. Economist Zehra Aftab and Professor Ali from Lahore, who has been detained, discuss how the rule is affecting communities in Pakistan.

Eating the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish has its benefits for the developing brain, but some women are advised to eat only limited amounts due to concerns about mercury. But one lab is cooking up brain food from where fish get it: algae.