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JET CRASH - NPR's Jon Greenberg reports on the crash today of a Value-Jet airliner en route from Miami to Atlanta. The jet crashed in the Florida everglades not long after takeoff. 109 people were on board. There are no signs of survivors.

NPR's Mike Shuster reports that since the execution last November of Nigerian activist Ken Saro-wiwa [seh-roh-WEE-wah], the US has been talking about what other measures it could take to put pressure on the Nigerian government. There is some support in Congress for more moves against Nigeria's military rulers, but President Clinton does not appear willing to push for the sanction that would hurt the most: an oil embargo.

Ailene Leblanc of member station WHQR reports that at least 14 Marines died early this morning when their helicopters collided during military maneuvers at Camp Lejuene. The cause of the collision is under investigation. The Marines were part of US-British war games simulating a crisis in the Persian Gulf.

Daniel talks with Colonel Wayne Forbush about the latest news in Liberia. Forbush is the Marine Commander in Charge of protecting the United States Embassy in Monrovia. Forbush says though a ceasefire is currently in effect, fighting still continues.

Deborah Amos reports that an American court is considering a case against Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadich. Karadich has been indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague, but no trial can take place there unless Karadich is arrested. He's still at large in Bosnian Serb territory, but Amos says that won't hamper the American court proceeding.

Over a million teenage girls in the United States become pregnant each year. But there is no consensus over what should be done, or what to tell young people to keep them from becoming sexually active or getting pregnant at an early age. NPR's Vicky Que (KWAY) reports from North Carolina that each community in that state gets to decide whether to encourage teens to abstain or to give them as much information as possible about sex and contraceptives.

Commentator Jonetta Rose Barris believes that when well-meaning legislators seek to ban advertising on cigarettes and alcohol, they take away the critical element of choice. Efforts to ban such advertising in poor, inner city neighborhoods is paternalistic, she says. Children need to learn to exercise their judgement and practice making choices. The ability to choose wisely isn't dropped in our laps when we turn 21, she says. We need to teach them to beware the products, not the ads.

Commentator Jerry Landay teaches "issues in television" at the University of Illinois. He examines the use of paid political commercials. Paying for these spots is prohibitively expensive and means that some candidates, like those for state offices, spend all their time fundraising instead of pressing the flesh and talking about issues. The networks handing free time to presidential candidates is a step in the right direction, but that does nothing to help the little guy out there running for the state legislature.

Daniel talks with Boston Globe reporter Daniel Golden about a recent investigative report he wrote. He found that 11.5 billion dollars worth of unclaimed property is being held by the federal and state governments with little effort to find the owners. Golden says this is a growing trend as governments become more strapped for funds. He argues that governments have a responsibility to do more to return these funds. In his investigation, Golden was able to locate the owners of over $200,000 dollars worth of unclaimed property.

Susan speaks with NPR's Ann Garrels in Moscow about the ceasefire that was supposed to go into effect at midnight Friday in Chechnya. Fighting continued today despite the agreement to halt fighting, an agreement Russia's president Boris Yeltsin concluded this week with the Chechen rebel leader.

Kermit the Frog made history yesterday, as he received an honorary degree -- Doctor of Amphibious Letters -- from Long Island University's Southhampton College.

NPR's Martha Raddatz reports from Sarajevo on a change in the leadership among the Bosnian Serbs. Over the weekend, the leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadzic, [RAH-doh-van KARE-uh-jitch] decided to give up dealing with the international community. He appointed Biljana Plavsic [bee-YAH-nah PLAHV-sitch] to act for him. International observers say the change will not make it easier to deal with the Bosnian Serbs. Plavsic is known as a hard-liner who will probably continue Karadzic's policies.

In the Midwest, unemployment rates are at their lowest in decades. NPR's Don Gonyea reports that midwestern employers are offering competitive wages and benefits in order to attract enough workers.

- Israeli elections take place next Wednesday. Some half a million Israeli Arab votes could help decide the results. Although few Israeli Arabs are expected to vote for the Likud party, given the recent events in Lebanon, many are thinking twice about voting for Shimon Peres or voting at all. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.

NPR's Margot Adler reports on a novel Federal ruling in which a New York judge has held that victims of handgun violence can sue the firearms industry to discover whether it failed to take steps to prevent sales to illegal buyers.

Commentator Mickey Edwards says instead of all this fussing about what to put in the GOP platform, why not just drop it altogether. Hardly anyone reads it, no one votes based on it.

45 people were charged today with distributing child pornography. NPR's Chitra Ragavan says the Postal Service made the arrests after a two-year 36-state undercover operation.

NPR's Derek Reveron reports on the status of the investigation into the cause of the crash of Valujet flight 592. The DC-9 went down in the Florida Everglades one week ago killing 110 people. Divers today began diving missions into the crater opened up by the plane when it went down. Yesterday officials ruled out engine failure as the cause of the crash.

Playwrite and author Kevin Kling goes to the Metrodome in Minneapolis as part of his brother's bachelor party. The game was dull, but for these fans in the stands, an epic eventwould soon unfold from the bleachers.

Nestled in the heart of southern Wisconsin's dairy country, is an unlikely home for an array of unusual animals. Most of these wild creatures, including lions and tigers, were bred to be pets, and have since been rejected by their owners and by zoos. Reporter Steve Busalacchi (Boos-a-lacke) from Wisconsin Public Radio reports.