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Punishment and Parole in Alabama Robert Siegel tells the story of Lewis Downs. Downs, an elderly church deacon, had an ongoing feud with a younger man- his neighbor, and Downs ends up killing him. Downs is sentenced to 20 years in prison-- but is up for parole after only three and half years served. This man is clearly no threat to society, but the victim's family is outraged. This piece raises many questions about what society believes about crime and about punishment.

NPR's Anne Garrels in Moscow tells of conflicting reports about the death of Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev (JOH-kar doo-DIE-yeff). Dudayev has led the Chechens in their bid for independence from Russia. ITAR-Tass says Dudayev was killed in a missile attack Sunday. Another news agency, Interfax, said Dudayev is alive. Neither report has been confirmed.

Robert Siegel speaks with Michael Hudson, professor of International Relations & Arab Studies at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studiesat Georgetown University and Alan Makovsky, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the role Syrian President Assad is now playing in the middle east. Stereo (6:30) (IN S

Linda talks to Joanna Weschler, the United Nations representative of Human Rights Watch. The United States and the European Union proposed at a meeting this week in Geneva that the UN's commission on Human Rights take up a proposal to criticize China's human right record. However, China's political maneuvering among the members of the commission kept the proposal from being debated. Weschler says that is not good for the future of human rights in China because it indicates that China feels that it is about the rules of international relations.

Retired pathologist Dr. Jack Kevorkian is on trial again. He is charged with assisting in the suicides of two of his patients. NPR's Don Gonyea reports that this trial raises the question of whether people who are not terminally ill have the right to a doctor's help in killing themselves.

Officials say that's going to make identifying the victims very difficult.

Linda talks to Marita Brunner (BREW ner) the founder of Flight 427 Air Disaster Support League. She had a relative on board the USAir flight that crash near Pittsburgh in the fall of 1994. She says relatoves and friends of victims of air crashes have to suffer the deaths plus the fact they often do not have a say on burial and retrieval of posessions. She says the Florida crash will bring the extra pain of perhaps no way to retrieve remains at all. She asked that for our web page we include the following: Natl Air Disaster Alliane 412-572-6427 PO Box 13117, Akron OH 44313.

NPR's Deidre Berger reports on today's decision by Germany's highest court upholding the tighter asylum laws of 1993 that were introduced to stem the flow of asylum seekers into Germany.

A study released today by the non-profit organization Public Agenda, shows that 93% of the general public, and 88% of welfare recipients, want the current welfare system changed. The study, "The Values We Live By: What Americans Want from Welfare Reform," also finds that 4 in 10 Americans say that they or someone in their close family has received benefits at some time. Robert Siegel speaks with the study's author, Steve Farkas, Vice President and Director of Public Agenda.

Tueday, the Senate passed a bill that would require insurance companies to consider mental illness the same as physical illness. Linda Wertheimer speaks with Dr. Herbert Pardes (PAR des), chair of the department of Psychiatry, at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Some see the Senate's move as possible end to the stigmatization of mental illness.

In this presdiential election year, there has been a debate as to whether television networks should give the major candidates free television time. Commentator Mickey Edwards believes that it's not only the presidential candidates who need free t.v. time but more importantly the people who are running for Congress who need free t.v. time for debates. Edwards says that if we are to hope for more changes in government, the cost of running for office needs to be pared down.

Robert talks with Lionel Barber of The Financial Times about the European Unions decision to ban British beef. Barber says this decision to ban a product is not UNprecedented, in fact there have been other bans imposed by the E-U in recent years.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports on the reaction to the life sentence given to Yigal Amir, the man who assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin last November. Most people welcomed the sentence, though they have yet to come to terms with the traumatic events surrounding the assassination.

Daniel talks with photographer Thomas Roma who took pictures at 52 African-American Christian churches in Brooklyn - many of them storefront churches. The photographs depict congregants and pastors during sunday morning worship services. Some of these photographs are in the book, "Come Sunday:Photographs by Thomas Roma" (published by The Museum of Modern Art). The photographs are currently on dispay at The Museum of Modern Art in New York through June 18th, 1996. Included in this interview is music from two churches: Reverend Jerry Burns and the Open Door Singers (of the Open Door Outreach Ministry/Brooklyn) and The Mo Gbeke Mi Le O Choir Band (of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Olutunu/Brooklyn).

Commentator David Crystal has discovered first hand that in other cultures safe topics of conversation vary greatly.

It's the money that the federal govt. coughs up when it takes tax paying local land off the tax rolls. This money usually goes to local schools, but Washington is late with it's payment this year and some in Congress want to reduce it dramatically anyway. Madeline Brand of member station W-B-G-O reports.

Commentator Daniel Pinkwater's dog Jacques poses with the skill of a professional model for a magazine photographer.

Charles Scanlon reports that early results from South Korea's parliamentary elections suggest a stronger-than-expected showing for the ruling party. However, it may still lose its majority in the National Assembly, with voters angry at what they perceive as an authoritarian style of government.

Oliver North, key figure in the Iran Contra affair, radio talk show host, and failed Senate candidate, was out today trying to interest a convention of law enforcement professional in his company's spring line of protective gear. He's marketing something called Gold Shield - a composite of the latest technologies - said by North, to be the strongest material there is for such use. NPR's Art Silverman reports.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports the Clinton Administration has unveiled a proposal to make pensions more available and secure for American workers. The initiative, a mix of old and new ideas for reforming pension regulations, would expand the availablity of IRA savings plans, make four-oh- one retirement plans more portable and simplify the process of establishing a 401K plan.