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Burma about the recent military crack down on the pro-democracy movement there.

of how it acquiesced to the Croatian government's plans to smuggle Iranian arms to Bosnia two years ago. Appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott said the Administration took the best available option in its response to Croatia, and that it in no way constituted a covert action.

California Governor Pete Wilson is releasing his proposal for the state's budget for the next fiscal year. Wilson says a healthy economy has yielded a two billion dollar surplus, much of which he wants to devote to education. Wilson's effort may be designed as much to help the state's ailing education system as to improve the political climate in a crucial state for fellow Republican Bob Dole. Wilson also wants to introduce a fifteen percent across-the-board tax cut. NPR's Virginia Bigar [BIG-ur] reports.

- Andrea De Leon (Ahn-DRAY-uh DAY-LAY-OWN) reports on the Senate Primary campaign in Maine, which was held this week. Republicans in the state cast ballots for Susan Collins, John Hathaway, and Bob Monks - who were fighting for the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Senator William Cohen. Many people in Maine considered the campaign to be one of the nastiest in the state's history. A week before the primary, two newspapers reported that candidate Hathaway had been investigated for allegedly having sex with an underage girl. Hathaway accused candidate Bob Monk of leaking the story to the press. Candidate Susan Collins - who stayed out of the dispute - won the primary with more than 50-percent of the vote.

Susan talks to Harry Goode, a cattle farmer in England who is using his cows to sell ad space to a variety of companies. Goode came up with this gimmick after the ban on British beef was implemented due to fears that some of the cattle may have mad cow disease. Eight of Goode's cows have had billboard like ads placed on their backs which passersby can see from the interstate that runs close to Goode's pastures. He charges advertisers 100 pounds per day and even America's Ben and Jerry's ice cream has bought an ad.

Tatiana Schreiber (tah-CHAH-na SHRY-bur) reports on the only accredited college in the U.S. exclusively serving students with learning disabilities. She attends a recent graduation ceremony to talk with students and teachers.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has gone to court to force Chrysler to recall 91,000 cars. Federal officials say that rear seat belts in the cars are unsafe, but Chrysler has resisted the recall, saying there's no problem. This is the first time an automaker has resisted federal requests for a voluntary recall.

Susan talks with Dr. Bill Walsh, president of Health Research Institute in Naperville Chicago about an ongoing study on some 600 strands of Beethoven's hair. A group of scientists are examining the hair in order to learn more about Beethoven such as how he died and what might have caused his hearing loss.

NPR's Anne Garrels reports from the presidential campaign trail in Russia. Polls indicate Russian President Yeltsin is ahead, but no one trusts those polls, least of all the Yeltsin campaign.

Linda talks with the author, A. S. Byatt, about her latest book, "Babel Tower" (BAY-bl). This is the third novel in an ongoing series, and Byatt says she had intended to write a novel about family life and group behavior, but the novel also became a portrait of swinging London in the 1960s. There are myriad literary and popular culture references, and there are other narratives and fictional works embedded in the novel -- including another novel called Babble Tower, trial transcripts, poems and fairy tales.