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NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Jerusalem on the $500 million missile defense system, to be funded by the US and Israel, which is designed to protect Israel from weapons of mass destruction. After meeting with Prime Minister Shimon Perez, U-S Defense Secretary William Perry also said the U-S would be willing to station U-S troops in the Golan Heights to guarantee peace.

Linda talks to N-P-R White House Correspondent Mara Liasson about today's presidential news conference.

Guenivere Garcia is on death row in Chicago for the 1991 murder of her second husband. She is scheduled to die by lethal injection on January 17th. She has dropped all appeals and says she wants the state to end her life without delay. Garcia has endured sexual and physical abuse throughout her life. NPR's Edward Lifson reports that a number of groups opposing her execution say the state would merely be assisting in Garcia's suicide, while others say if Garcia wants to die, the state should grant her wish.

Danny goes to the National Zoo here in Washington to examine efforts to teach orangutans how to communicate with humans. The zoo has developed an exhibit called "The Think Tank". We meet with Rob Shumaker, one of the key researchers at The Think Tank who shows us how he's teaching the orangutans a new, specially developed language of symbols. The hope, Shumaker says, is that one day the orangs will learn enough of this symbolic language that communication between humans and primates would be possible, at least on a limited basis.

For the record, we hear the speech Ronald Reagan gave on the evening after the Challenger exploded.

NPR's John Ydstie reports that financial markets have stabilized today after a sharp fall Monday and Tuesday. The fall is largely attributed to a breakdown in the budget negotiations, though some analysyts say market factors were more important. The sharp reaction in the financial markets may put pressure on the politicians to make a deal. In fact, it may be that some of the Republican policical rhetoric is calculated to affect the market and put pressure on the President.

Danny speaks with Ann Marie Riley, a Catholic Relief Services worker based in the African country, Burundi. They discuss the escalating violence between ethnic Hutu and Tutsi in Burundi, which threatens the country with a genocide like that which took place in neighboring Rwanda nearly two years ago.

NPR's John Burnett reports that while most prisons across the country are trying to make life more difficult for prisoners (cutting back funding for basketball courts, initiating chain gangs, etc.), in Texas, which has the nation's largest prison population, prisoners are being given more access to one perk: the telephone. But Burnett says from the prison perspective, there's a business incentive for the move.

Daniel talks with James Tenser of Brand Marketing Magazine about a decision by Proctor and Gamble to test market the phasing out of coupons. Tenser says many companies now realize that coupons cost more than they actually bring in.

A conversation with a good samaritan in Philadelphia. Linda Wertheimer talks to Gina Licciardello (Litch-are-del-oh), who cooked pasta for a bus full of people - stranded by the snow for 17 hours - outside her South Philadelphia home.

Commentator Elissa Ely's dog always makes friends when they go for walks -- so many so that Elissa thinks he needs his own Rolodex.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is appearing before a federal grand jury today, the first First Lady to give testimony in such a forum. We talk with NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg about why the independent counsel has subpoenaed Mrs Clinton in the Whitewater investigation and what questions she's being asked.

- in the days before the Palestinian elections, which take place January 20.

Blue Dog Democrats are offering a budget compromise that could be accceptable to both the Republicans and the White House. Blue Dogs are fiscally conservative democrats. Linda Wertheimer talks with one of these Blue Dogs.... Representative Gary Condit of California. He and the other blue dogs, have offered a moderate budget plan that could appease both the Republicans as well as the White House. The Blue Dogs hope their budget is introduced in Congress as a possible solution to the budget debate deadlock.

NPR's Debbie Elliot reports that conservatives are upset over the courtmartial and discharge of Army medic Michael New for refusing to wear a UN patch or blue cap while on a UN peacekeeping mission in Macedonia. New has become a hero to those opposed to the UN because they fear the United States is ceding national sovereignty to a one-world body.

We hear from young people around the country who were schoolchildren when the Challenger exploded. They describe how the disaster changed their views of NASA and the government, and how the deaths of Christa McAuliffe and the other astronauts shocked them into realizing that life was easily lost.

Linda Gradstein reports on Israeli reaction to King Hussein of Jordon's first official visit to Israel. As Israel and Syria negotiate a peace treaty, the King's visit sends the signal that Jordan supports warm relations between the Arab states and Israel.

Commmentator Amy Dickenson feels a little guilty about the terrible blizzard- she may have cast the spell that caused it!

Virginia Biggar reports on one of the biggest anti-pollution efforts in the country: reformulated gas. It's the world's cleanest burning auto fuel for the general market, and it goes on sale next June. Introducing it statewide will do as much to reduce air pollution as removing 3.5 million vehicles from state roads.

White House Spokesman Michael McCurry has said Mrs. Clinton's appearance before the grand jury was "about as welcome as a trip to the dentist's office." We check with one member of the maligned profession for reaction.