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NPR's Julie McCarthy reports on the sentencing of three US servicemen who raped a 12-year-old Japanese girl in September. The trial has sparked a debate over whether the U.S. base should occupy Japanese soil.

Linda speaks with Ferrel Guillory (GHILL-oh-ree), a former Southern political reporter with the Raleigh, North Carolina News and Observer, and John Jacobs, political editor of the Sacremento Bee, about the significance of the Super Tuesday primaries in the south next week. With so many primaries being moved up, these analysts say Super Tuesday and the California primary at the end of March have lost their importance.(IN

Linda talks with NPR's Don Gonyea about the appearance on the witness stand by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who is on trial near Detroit for assisting in the suicides of two people in 1993 under a now-expired statute. Kevorkian told the jury that he frequently cries at these suicides, and that he turns many people away when they seek his help in dying, urging them to find another way to deal with their suffering. (4:00)(IN STEREO) 7. ST. DAVID'S DAY -- Wales celebrates its patron saint, St. David, today. St. David, the Waterman, was called Dewi in Welsh. He is credited with winning a victory over the Saxons - who back in the fifth century - ruled what is now England. St. David told Welsh soldiers to wear leeks in their helmets so they could recognize each other on the battlefield. To mark the day, we hear the Welsh group YR Huntws (YEAR- HOON-tuss) singing a traditional Welsh hymm "The Bishop and the Peasant" or Yr Esgob A'R Gwiladwr (publisher Sain Publi

paid for months; and how the potential for unrest in the Russian coalfields could have political repercussions for President Yeltsin.

Noah speaks with James Cusack, who covers security affairs for the Irish Times in Dublin. Cusack says the chances for a negotiated settlement between the British government and the IRA have diminished in the wake of the ascendency of the IRA's military wing. He says this hard-line inner core is more violent than the political leadership and less likely to negotiate.

President Clinton is enjoying the luxury of a primary season in which he can campaign as much or as little as he chooses without fear of losing because he is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. NPR'S Mara Liasson reports that the lack of opponents gives him several advantages over his Republican rivals, who have to defeat one another for the GOP nomination. .

NPR's Steve Inskeep reports that numerous interest groups are trying to influence the Republican presidential candidates in New Hampshire this week with billboards, TV ads and appearances at campaign events. These advocacy groups range from environmentalists to defense contractors. They share a desire to get the candidates to be more specific on issues, something the campaigns try to avoid whenever possible.

Alan Cheuse reviews the novel The Woman Who Walked On Water by Lily Tuck. It's the story of a middle-aged woman in search of spiritual enlightenment in India. Published by Riverhead.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that two of the world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers have decided to merge in one of the business world's biggest transactions ever. Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz are both Swiss firms. Together they will become the world's second largest drugmaker, behind the U.S.-British firm, Glaxo Wellcom. The stock swap is valued at more than $36 billion.

Noah travels to the tiny town of Marshall, on Tomales Bay in northern California, to learn about the Hog Island Oyster Company. John Finger and his colleagues lease ten acres of waterland in the bay and grow oysters, mostly for the restaurant trade in San Francisco, to the south, where the Hog Island brand is well-known. Hog Island plants oyster spat in mesh bags that are washed by the tides, and after two years it's harvest time. Every day the workers ride out to check their crops, only their riding in a wooden dory, instead of a pick-up truck. IN STEREO.

Robert talks to NPR's Joe Palca about a suspected outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the western African nation of Gabon. The World Health Organization says 19 people have become ill, including 10 who have died, since early February in a remote village in northern Gabon. Preliminary tests on blood samples support a diagnosis of Ebola, the WHO says, though additional tests will be needed for confirmation.

Noah Adams talks with the scientists who programmed the "Deep Blue" IBM computer for its ongoing chess match against world champion Gary Kasparov (kas-PAR-ov). After four games, Kasparov and Deep Blue have each won one match and tied twice. They are playing their penultimate game today.

NPR's John McChesney reports that the multimedia-software industry is facing a shakeout that could eliminate dozens of companies from the scene. Not very many CD-Rom publishers are profitable, and cost pressures are expected to force further consolidation.

a Republican, about the contest for his party's Presidential nomination. Carlson compares this years contest to his run for governor, when, as incumbent, the conservative controlled state convention failed to endorse his ultimately successful re-election bid.

NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that the eerie similarities between the disruption of the peace processes in Northern Ireland and the Middle East points to the emergence of sub-factions determined to prevent a final peace at all costs.

Linda Gradstein reports on the opening session of the Palestinian Council, the legislative body elected in Palestinian elections earlier this year. On the streets of Gaza, there is widespread support for Yasser Arafat, but people also said they understood the frustration that led to four suicide bombings in the past 12 days.

Linda talks to political consultant James Carville about his new book, "We're Right, They're Wrong," in which he offers responses to what he considers misinformation by the political right wing, ranging from issues on welfare to taking away power from the federal government and returning it to the states.

The BBC's Robert Parsons reports on the heavy fighting that is raging for the second straight day in the Chechen capital, Grozny. In Moscow, Russian President Boris Yeltsin says a peace plan for Chechnya is being finalized, but there is no indication he's ready to negotiate with Chechen rebels.

Linda talks with Michael Betzold, a reporter on strike from the Detroit Free Press, about Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Betzold says Kevorkian wishes that society will one day accept assisted suicide for those who are emotionally ill as well as for the terminally sick. Betzold also talks about Kevorkian's desire to control death. Betzold has written about Kevorkian since 1991 and wrote a book about him called, "Appointment with Dr. Death."

reports on the latest efforts in Israel to prevent any further terrorist acts by Hamas.

Noah talks to NPR's Melissa Block about former Congressman Jack Kemp's endorsement today of publisher Steve Forbes' presidential campaign. Kemp has been a major promoter of the idea of a flat tax, which is central to Forbes' campaign and his policies for economic growth. But coming on the day after Sen. Bob Dole's big primary wins in eight states, it was unclear what impact the Kemp endorsement would have.

NPR's John McChesney reports that one-time rivals Microsoft and America on Line reached an agreement today that would put AOL on every computer running Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system. The agreement comes less than a year after America on Line and other on-line services argued strenuously that the advent of the Microsoft Network last summer would give the software giant an unfair advantage over the on-line providers.

Robert talks with 18 year old Jacob Lurie, who won a $40,000 scholarship in the Westinghouse Talent Search for his theoretical work with surreal numbers. Lurie talks about his project and the elegance of mathematics.

of the French abortion pill RU-486, and are hoping to test it on two thousand American women. Advocates say the strategy will speed up approval of the drug, which has long been use in Europe .