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- NPR's Don Gonyea reports that teamster President Ron Carey declared victory today in his bid for a second five-year term, confident that his slim lead over James P Hoffa, the son of labor legend Jimmie Hoffa, would hold.

Rbert talks to Barton Gellman, Jerusalem Bureau Chief for the Washington Post , about the decline in popularity of Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. In the six months since Netanyahu took office, there have been events that led to questions about Netanyahu's effectiveness...such as the violent response to the Israeli government's opening of a tourist tunnel and the inability of the government to negotiate a plan for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Hebron. At home and abroad, confidence in Netanyahu's effectiveness as a leader has waned.

Human rights groups are urging American Christmas shoppers not to buy toys manufactured in China. The so-called "toycott" has been attempted before, but was not very successful. This year, the effort faces two more obstacles: the Clinton administration's delinking of the issues of trade and human rights... and the large number of Chinese-made goods available. NPR's Paul Miller has a report.

- Federal investigators don't know the exact cause of the TWA crash, but they say they know enough to call for changes in the way airlines operate their large aircraft and in the way those jetliners are built. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports that big changes are instore for the airline industry if the recommendations are implemented.

The timberwolf has made a remarkable comeback in the continental United States in recent years, and is expected to come off the Endangered Species list in the near future. Now, the states which have substantial timberwolf populations are finding problems in managing their wolves, and balancing the need for protecting the animals with the need to control the numbers of wolves has proven to be very controversial. Catherine Winter of Minnesota Public Radio reports.

Robert talks to Edward Rothstein, cultural critic at large for the New York Times, about the decreasing popularity of classical music over the last twenty years. The heart of the classical music repertoire, Rothstein says, was created and popularized in the 19th century, and reflected great themes and grand mythic adventures of the times. Today, movies and popular music are more effective in describing current issues and conflicts than classical music, which plays a minor and diminishing role in the culture.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports that an off-duty Israeli soldier opened fire in a crowded marketplace in the West Bank town of Hebron, wounding eight Palestinians. The soldier, who lives in another West Bank settlement, said he was trying to scuttle the impending agreement on an Israeli troop withdrawal from Hebron. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved quickly to limit any damage to the diplomatic process, telephoning Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to condemn the shooting. Israeli and Palestinian officials said both sides are determined not to let today's incident delay the peace process.

the APEC conference in Manila.

at the Art Institute of Chicago which runs until January 5th, titled " >Degas--Beyond Impressionism."

Alan Cheuse reviews James Cowan's new book A Mapmaker's Dream. It's the story of a Italian monk's quest to make a perfect map of the world. The book is set during the Renaissance in Venice, and is based in part on the true story of Fra Mauro, whose maps are in the central library in Venice.

NPR'S Julie McCarthy reports that the Asian Pacific Economic Conference ended today on a high note. Leaders of APEC endorsed a U.S. plan to substantially eliminate tariffs on information technology by the year 2000. And there also was progress on the diplomatic front, with China's President Jiang Zemin and President Clinton agreeing to exchange state visits.

- For the first time in half a century, workmen are cleaning up Grand Central Station in New York City. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports much of the work involves cleaning off the layers of grime that have obscured a celestial mural on Grand Central's high ceiling.

The participating countries agreed to endorse free trade goals on computers and other high-tech products.

NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports that Yale University is supervising a program to document the atrocities and executions of the Khmer Rouge regime. The documentation was being done to help bring the guilty to justice. But times have changed in Cambodia, and now the government is more interested in forging a more peaceful future than tracking down those guilty of genocide.

In recent years, there has been a sharp decline in the number of Catholics who are choosing religious vocations. Some predictions are dire...suggesting that many religious orders may soon disappear. Among Catholic nuns, there are more women over the age of 90 than under 30.The Church is also having to face the economic and social problems involved in caring for this elderly population. Producer Mary Beth Kirchner reports on the future of nuns in America.

Critic Bob Mondello has a review of the Australian film, Shine. It's about a concert pianist...a one-time child prodigy who had spent a lot of time in mental institutions...who has been making a comeback. The film was recently honored by Australia's Film Institute, and found an enthusiastic reception at the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals.

Researchers have found the region that is likely to contain a gene that's responsible for prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men. While they haven't isolated the gene itself, knowing its location will enable researchers to develop a genetic test for the disease, and should lead in short order to identifying the gene itself. NPR's Joanne Silberner reports.

NPR's Joe Neel reports on San Francisco's efforts to get dramatic new AIDS treatments -- which often require complicated regimens -- to people whose street lives don't lend themselves to routine: the homeless, drug users, and the mentally ill.

Noah talks with Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, about how small airports operate. Fourteen people died this week when a United Express turbo-prop and a private plane crashed at a small airport in Quincy, Illinois. Like most of the more than 18,000 airports in the United States, the Quincy airport did not have a control tower. Most such airports have good safety records. Boyer explains how pilots communciate with one another at non-towered airports to avoid accidents. They rely on radio...and their own eyes.

on the "State of Black America." Aside from some gains in political representation and black college enrollment, the report characterizes life in urban Black America as comparable to the years during the Great Depression.

a group of businesses near Las Vegas dedicated to the fruit. There's an Ocean Spray processing plant that puts out 600 bottles of juice a minute, a cranberry museum, and a giant talking cranberry. Susan even manages to mention in detail, a certain family recipe featuring the cranberry.

today in his wrongful death trial in Santa Monica, California. Some speculate that Simpson's appearance on the stand may be one of the most important aspects of the trial. The testimony is expected to last two or three days.

After much anticipation and with much fanfare, Chevrolet unveiled the newest Corvette today. It's the first new model since 1984 and those who have seen it say it looks a little different. While it still has the classic curves, it also has a bulbous back end. Naomi Lewin of member station WKYU in Bowling Green, Kentucky has more.

The two newest teams in the National Football League, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers, have both advanced to the AFC and NFC Conference Championships. Linda talks with Peter King, who writes for Sports Illustrated, about how both teams have found such success, so early in their franchises' history.

will hear today, which involves the power to prosecute government officials under federal law for committing sexual assaults while on the job. The case involves a judge in Tennessee, who was convicted of sexually assaulting women in his chambers. At issue is application of a federal law that makes it a crime to deprive someone of her Constitutional rights 'under color of state law.' The statute usually is applied to prosecute police brutality cases.