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The famous blues singer Bessie Smith had a torturous and wonderful life... one of passion mixed with tragedy complimented by tremendous talent. Danny talks with actress and singer Bernardine Mitchell who is currently performing in the musical 'Bessie's Blues' in Washington D.C. The play weaves together the lives of Smith and Mitchell - illustrating the challenges and hurdles both have faced in their lives.

NPR's Jim Zarolli reports on the U.S. media operations of Rupert Murdoch. Australian-born Murdoch runs Fox TV, and this week the Federal Communications Commission said Murdoch's News Corporation would not have to give up any of the eight t.v. stations that make up the core of Fox TV, even though that violates foreign-ownership rules. Murdoch supporters say his US operations have brought competition to the airwaves. His opponents say he's brought shlock.

Michael talks with Martin Walker, Washington bureau chief of the British newspaper The Guardian, about America's image in Europe. Europe wants to be led, says Walker, and America is dropping the ball.

NPR's Trevor Rowe reports that five humanitarian organizations have banded together to provide women in refugee camps with assistance addressing their sexual needs: birth control, protection against AIDS, and sexual abuse.

LINGUAL COPS - NPR's Vickey Que reports on Philadelphia's effort to curb Asian gang violence by using police officers who speak Asian languages.

NPR's John Greenberg reports that beginning tomorrow, a Congressional subcommittee will open hearings on cutting the amount of money the federal government spends on subsidized housing.

BOOM - Songwriter Jimmy Keyes died this past week. He wrote and performed the classic rhythm and blues song SH-BOOM in the 1950's, when he was with a group called The Chords. The song was one of the first r and b standards to cross over into the main commercial market.

LAWS - Danny discusses the future of Congressional efforts to revamp the nation's environment laws with Bob Benenson of Congressional Quarterly and Stephen Klineberg, Professor of Sociology at Rice University. Yesterday, 51 House Republicans broke ranks with the leadership to join democrats and kill proposals that would have curbed the Environmental Protection Agency's power to enforce the clean air and water acts.

When storyteller Carmen Deedee left Cuba as a little girl many years ago, she had a difficult time adjusting to her new life in a small town in Georgia. But her transition was made easier when she discovered that some of the things she treasured in her country she could also find in her new one.

Ever since the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum opened, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have visited the extraordinary collection of exhibits. But museum organizers noticed that missing among the visitors were D.C. public school kids. And so they developed a program that would bring local young people to the museum where they could not only learn about the holocaust but eventually get a job at the museum. Daniel visits with some of these high school students during one of their 10 week courses and discovers how the program has not only changed the way these teenagers view history, but how it has affected their parents as well.