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Mexico and reports on the business of smuggling illegal immigrants from Mexico into the U.S. Crossing the border has grown more difficult in the past few years... causing smugglers to drastically raise their prices. The U.S. is preparing to tighten security at the border even more in response to incidents of the past month. Yesterday, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a version of an immigration bill that would reinforce the U.S. border patrol and crack down on smuggling.

where he has been granted political asylum...

NPR's Tovia (TOE-vee-uh) Smith reports on a fight in Connecticut and a number of other states over how best to care for mentally retarded adults. A number of states have closed down their mental instituions, favoring instead smaller home based programs. But some in Connecticut defend the state's largest such institution, the Southbury Training School...saying it is not the cold cruel place critics charge it is.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that international relief agencies are agonizing over whether to return to Liberia. Most aid groups were forced to abandon the country last month, when renewed fighting shattered the country's fragile peace. Mostly teenage militias ransacked relief agencies' offices and stole their equipment and supplies. Aid workers worry that even if the situation stabilizes and they do return to Liberia, there are no guarantees that things won't deteriorate again.

NPR's Joanne Silberner reports that the hormone estrogen is showing promise as a treatment for post-partum depression. A study that involved having new mothers wear skins patches that adminiter estrogen found the treatment seemed to alleviate post-partum depression. Researches caution that more research is needed to test the approach. (4:30) -b- 8. OTTO - Storyteller Kevin Kling has a hitchhiking tale to tell. He gets picked up by Otto a man with bad knees and a few other problems.

The United States continues to complain that China is NOT cracking down on operations that copy computer software, movies and music. NPR's John McChesney reports that the piracy business continues to boom in China, costing American software manufacturers millions in royalties. But counterfeiting operations also are hurting Chinese software businesses, who say they cannot compete with the low priced-software available on the black market.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that Ghana today reluctantly agreed to permit an overcrowded freighter dock and unload more than three thousand people who had fled the fighting in Liberia. For the past ten days several West African nations, including Ghana, had refused to let the Bulk Challenge unload its desperate passengers, many of them hungry and sick. But after pressure from the United Nations and others, Ghana allowed the refugees to disembark today. A new camp will be built for them, but Ghana declared that it will not accept any more refugees.

Chris Arnold reports on Scott Cook and Tom Proulx (PROO), founders of Intuit, the hugely successful creater of home finance computer software. Ten years ago, the company almost went under, but they manaaged to survive by mortgaging their homes, borrowing from their parents' retirement money, and working very long days. Now, they sell "Quicken," the most popular home finance program in the world.

Commentator Andrei Codrescu is quite struck by Timothy Leary's decision to have his suicide be a live event on the internet.

Barbara Bradley reports on the case of Fauziya Kasinga, the Togolese women who is seeking asylum in the United States to avoid being circumcised as part of a marriage ritual. The case, which goes before the US Board of Immigration Appeals on Thursday, is expected to open the doors for women fearing female genital mutilation.

Pierce thinks its a good idea.

Commentator Lee Cullum says American corporations seem confused about where their chief allegiance should be...too many think they should serve their shareholders at the expense of everybody else--that's faulty thinking. Business leaders share three vital constituencies--customers, employees and shareholders.

NPR's Cheryl Corley visits the Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently filed a major sex harrassment suit against Mitsubishi, charging that female employees had been victims of years of harrassment by male employees. Employees are divided over whether the charges are justified, and the dispute has made life very tense at the plant, one of the largest employers in town.

News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that President Clinton of late has spoken of a streamlined--yet effective--government, and has been developing this theme since his State of the Union speech in January.

Last Saturday, Washington Mayor Marion Barry, left town last Saturday, on a personal hiatus, he said, to recover from a spiritual and physical breakdown. He says he took "inventory" of himself and found that he needed spiritual healing because he began to see "tell-tale signs of spiritual relapse and physical exhaustion." Where do these code words come from , though? Robert Siegel talks with Washington Post editor Richard Leiby (LIBE-ee) about the incorporation of "reformation and transformation language into DC politics.

Noah talks with Nancy Groce (GROSS) about her book, "The Musicians's Joke Book: Knowing the Score." Groce is a folklorist and ethnomusicologist. She says musicians who play banjos, violas, and drums are made fun of more than other musicians, but there's a joke for every type of musician, including conductors. (3:15) (Schirmer Books: NY, 1996) FUNDER 0:29 CUTAWAY 0:59 =========================SECOND HOUR======================= BILLBOARD :59 NEWS 2:59 NEWS 1:59 THEME MUSIC 0:29 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2A 8. ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL -- Linda talks with NPR's Elizabeth Arnold about Senator Bob Dole's four-day campaign swing this week. Dole talked about crimes, drugs and welfare at stops in Colorado, California, Illinois and Ohio. One thing that wasn't talked about much was the economy, which is doing pretty well, especially in the Midwest.

Commentator Andrei Codrescu worries about a new study that says writers are especially prone to mental illness. Manic depression, mood swings, alcoholism, and sexual promiscuity are all apparently pitfalls of the profession. Codrescu wonders which of these vices and failings he might have.

The Pope beatified two German priests for their resistance to the Third Reich. The Pope omitted some phrases of his prepared speech that claimed the "entire" Roman Catholic church had fought against the tyranny of the Nazis.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports on the resolution of a longstanding farm labor battle. The United Farmworkers Union signed a five-year contract this past week with agri-business giant, Bruce Church Incorporated, one of the largest producers of lettuce.

The Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site in Danville, California is making available for the first time the only known recording of O'Neill as he reads from his play 'Long Day's Journey into Night'. Susan talks with park ranger Jean Houts, who conducts daily tours of Tao House - where O'Neill wrote four of his most important plays.

Reporter Amy Bernstein visits the headquarters of a magazine for pre-teen girls called "Girls' Life." The relatively new magazine is the first full-fledged glossy of its kind and has become something of a phenomenon in the publishing world. With over one hundred thousand current subscribers and two to three thousand more pouring in every month, the magazine seems to have found a niche...although advertisers still need to be convinced of its appeal and the buying power of its primary demographic group.

Bob Mondello says that the new film "Mission: Impossible" doesn't self-destruct, but is only an adequate thriller.

Detroit is celebrating the one-hundred-year anniversary of the first time automobiles were produced in volume, with many events scheduled all summer long. NPR's Don Gonyea reports on one ongoing event where engineering students are trying to build a environmentally friendly sedan which can travel up to eighty miles on a gallon of gas.

showing that pre-screening women for the sexually-transmitted disease, chlamydia, can reduce the incidence of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.

on gay rights.