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Five years ago, Operation Dessert Storm began, turning the crisis in the Persian Gulf into a full-scale war. We recapture the events of that day with a monatage of sound.

The Senate Whitewater committee has been questioning White House and personal lawyers for President Clinton about whether the administration improperly shared inside information about the investigation with the Clintons' private attorneys. NPR's Jon Greenberg reports that the White House has denied it got improper information and that it tried to hinder the investigation.

NPR's Richard Harris reports that astronomers have, for the first time, seen features on the surface of a nearby star, Betelgeuse (BAY-dull-juwz). Until now, all stars other than our sun have appeared simply as points of light, even through the best telescopes. Now the Hubble Space Telescope has shown that Betelgeuse, in the constellation of Orion, has a mysterious bright spot on its surface.

Noah talks with NPR's Tom Gjelten in Sarajevo about a glitch in plans for a prisoners-of-war exchange, which was agreed to by all sides under the Dayton peace accords. The Muslim-led Bosnian government now refuses to free Serb prisoners, insisting the Serbs first account for thousands of Muslims which Bosnia charges are still being held prisoner.

NPR's Richard Harris reports that today was the final day for official comments on a proposal by the Food and Drug Administration to regulate cigarettes. Accordingly, the tobacco industry held a news conference to outline its opposition to the regulations, while anti-smoking groups reiterated their support.

Linda Wertheimer talks with Steve Bauer, executive director of the non-profit Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund, based in Littleton, Colorado. He tells how applications for loans are flooding in from all over the country by employees hurt by the federal budget stalemate.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports on the condition of Kobe, one year after the earthquake that took more than 6000 lives. While the city has made remarkable progress in repairing the city, the psychological damage to residents is taking longer to heal.

Noah speaks with Christina Bokenkamp, a 17-year-old junior at Kearney (CAR-ney) High School in Kearney, Nebraska. She and her schoolmates were trapped overnight yesterday at school by the heavy snows and ice that paralyzed the Midwest. It was a memorable adventure, but she does regret not having brought a tooth brush.

Robert talks with Teresa Tritch, Washington bureau chief of Money magazine, about the economic premise behind the flat tax, an idea that figures prominently in some Republican presidential campaigns. Tritch explains who the winners and losers would be if such a tax code were implemented.

The Supreme Court heard arguments today on the all-male status of the Virginia Military Institute. The Clinton Administration wants state-supported VMI to open its doors to women. But an attorney for Virginia and the school say the school should be allowed to remain all-male. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that the high court's ruling could set a precedent for women's rights.

Noah talks with Mike O'Connor in Sarajevo about problems with enforcing the details of the Dayton peace agreement. Bosnian Serbs have set up checkpoints to control the movement of Bosnian Muslims...checkpoints that go against the agreement. However, NATO says it can't get involved in the details of enforcing all the elements of the agreement.

We continue our four-part series about the Balkan Conflict. In part three... the rise of nationalism in Croatia from independence to war. Noah talks to Brian Hall, author of "The Impossible Country," about Croatia's break from the former Yugoslavia and Dr. Franjo (Fran-yo) Tujdman's (TUGE-mans) rise to the presidency. Mr. Hall describes the longstanding resentment Croats have had for the Serbs, and the threat Croat nationalist symbols played in provoking the conflict.

NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that the Syrian-Israeli peace talks being held at Wye Plantation in Maryland are showing some signs of progress.

Mary Jo Draper from member station KCUR in Kansas City, Missouri, reports on a severe winter storm that tore across the Plains and parts of the Southwest yesterday and today. Several states including Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma were frozen by sleet, snow and wind. In parts of Minnesota and North Dakota, high-winds have blown the snow into huge drifts, shutting down highways and in some places keeping snow plows off the roads.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that peanut subsidies are under attack by reformers in Congress who say the program costs consumers too much. Defenders of the program say price supports protect the family farm. Opponents say the program is being abused by people who benefit but don't actually grow anything.

Alex Van Oss reports on a new kind of flute. It's made of carbon instead of the traditional gold or silver and it's inventor claims that the instrument produces a warmer sound. It also has technical innovations that make it easier to play.

Blues artist B.B. King spoke today at the National Press Club luncheon. We hear an excerpt in which he talks about getting started as a kid picking cotton and singing on street corners in Indianola, Mississippi.

Alan Cheuse reviews paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson's novel, "The Dechronization of Sam Magruder." It's a time-travel adventure with echoes of H.G. Wells. (Publisher: St. Martin's Press)

The BBC's Angus Robertson reports on a controversy in Austria over the discovery of secret U.S. arms caches that were buried there in the 1950s in the event of a second Soviet invasion.

NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports that a congressional panel heard from seven White House Travel Office employees who were fired a few months after President Clinton took office. The fired workers said the Clinton administration drummed up phony allegations so they could put their friends in power.