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Noah Adams speaks with Rev. Jim Renfrew, pastor of Stone Church, Presbyterian Church in Bergen, NY, about the delights of winter. He says the steady snowfall quiets the city, and members of the community take extra time to look after each other.

NPR's Chitra Ragavan talks to furloughed workers and others about how the most recent Republican proposal to reopen the federal government would affect their lives and livelihood.

NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports that while federal agencies and departments are finally back at work again, a daunting task awaits them -- catching up with nearly a month's workload.

NPR's Joe Palca reports that a new study has found that the number of Americans who die from infectious diseases has been increasing. Researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that deaths from infectious diseases increased 58 percent from 1980 to 1992.

Daniel talks with Kevin and Todd Berger. They've written two books about why Americans are becoming increasingly hostile while out driving in their cars. They say that one of the reasons is that while commuters in general are travelling shorter distances to get to work...they're spending more time doing so.

NPR'S Ted Clark looks back at the Gulf War with 20-20 hindsight, pointing out what predictions made at the time turned out to be right and what ones were completely wrong.

Commentator Alan Cheuse reviews Jamaica Kincaid's fourth novel, Autobiography of My Mother, which is set once again in her native country of Dominica in the Carribean. (publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux)

NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that the political shakeup following Russia's parliamentary elections and the continued Chechen crisis have caused President Yeltsin act in ways which are reminiscent of the "old" Russia.

NPR's Brian Naylor reports that Congress is expected to approve today a measure that would send some 280-thousand furloughed federal employees back to work next week. They and another 500-thousand federal workers who have been on the job without pay since December 16 would receive back wages. However, most of the agencies they work for would remain closed. The plan was agreed to by House Republicans who last night rejected a broader back-to-work proposals. The plan would also fund for the rest of the fiscal year other programs, including Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

Commentator Paul Durrenberger talks about our fascination with predicting the stock market.

Andrea DeLeon of Maine Public Radio reports on the attack on four nuns over the weekend. Two of the nuns were killed, and two injured by a former mental patient. Some believe he should not have been on the streets.

Hosts read letters from listeners.

The White House has released an internal 1993 memo that portrays Hillary Rodham Clinton as the force behind the firing of travel office employees at the start of the administration. Administration officials had told investigators that Mrs. Clinton played no role in the firings. NPR's Jon Greenberg reports that a White House spokesman says the memo adds nothing new to the public record.

Charles de Ledesma reviews the music of Pizzaman, a group of four musicians based in Brighton, England. The group is topping British dance charts with their rousing disco beats and enthralling pop punch.

NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that President Clinton came on strong last night in his State of the Union address.

NOAH talks to reporter Joe Palca about the fat substitute, Olestra, that was just approved by the FDA. Critics have warned that it could cause people to lose valuable nutrients, leading to long-term health problems like cancer and blindness. Proponents say it will help people maintain a low fat diet.

With recent elections in Russia, Commentator Andrei Codrescu notes the return of the communists. But he points out they never really left, and they really aren't what we thought they were in the first place.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports from Sarajevo about life along the front line. The Bosnian government and Bosnian Serbs have pulled back their troops, and French peace-keepers have moved into position to create a buffer zone between the two warring groups. For the first time in nearly four years, the neighborhoods along the trenches are quiet.

NPR's Deborah Wang reports from Nepal on elephant polo, sport of the adventure-travel elite. In this year's International Elephant Polo Championships, the American team continued its dubious record as annual last-place finishers.

NPR's Neal Conan reports on the life of Admiral Arleigh Burke who died Sunday at the age of 94. "31 Knot Burke" was one of the most successful and colorful naval officers in American history. During the Second World War, he commanded a destroyer squadron in a series of daring night actions against Japanese forces in the waters around the Solomon Islands. In 1955, he became Chief of Naval Operations and served an unprecedented three terms, bringing the Navy into the era of jets, missiles and nuclear propulsion.