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Madeleine Brand reports on a public education controversy in New Jersey. The state's high court recently ruled that there is a gross disparity between poor urban and rich suburban public schools. The state is trying to restore equity by cutting back the amount of money is spends on suburban schools. Urban school superintendants fear the money saved from the rich won't wind up in the hands of the poor.

In 1983, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was deemed a onafide federal holiday. New Hampshire is the one state the does not honor the ay in the name of the assassinated civil rights leader. Eric Westervelt of New ampshire public radio reports that last night the Reverend Jesse Jackson isited New Hampshire and urged state officials to rethink the issue.

NPR'S ANTHONY BROOKS REPORTS FROM BOSTON ON ONE MASSACHUSETTS FAMILY'S EFFORTS TO DONATE THEIR LARGE, FULLY EQUIPPED HOME TO THE STATE FOR THEIR TWIN MENTALLY RETARDED SONS, AGE 22, AND OTHERS TO LIVE IN. THE STATE CANNOT ACCEPT THE HOME BECAUSE IT CAN'T AFFORD TO STAFF IT.

The Aum Shinrykio sect is now the principal suspect in the Tokyo subway gassing last Monday. Over the past few days Japanese police have confiscated huge amounts of chemical compounds from their headquaters. But as Anne Garrels reports from Moscow the sect also has a large following in Russia - almost three times as many members as in Japan. But some of them are less willing than others.

Harry Forestell reports on the controversy surrounding the emains of American Indian Pocahantas 400 years after her death. Pocahantas is redited with helping the Jamestown colony survive, and will be the subject of a isney movie this summer. Pocohantas died on a visit to England, and is buried n Gravesend (GRAVES-end), near London. American entertainer Wayne Newton, who laims the Indian Princess is a relative, wants to ship her remains back to the .S., but England is not inclined to give her up.

NPR's Peter Kenyon reports that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has unexpectedly freed two Americans who had been jailed in Iraq. The men, William Barloon and David Daliberti, were arrested and sentenced to 8 years in prison after they entered Iraq from Kuwait by mistake last March. The Americans were freed after US Congressman Bill Richardson (of New Mexico) met with Saddam.

A recent United Nations report on the world wide status of women ranks Sweden number one in terms of women's equality. Last year the Swedish Prime Minister decided that half of Sweden's parliament and half of Sweden's cabinet should be female and so many men were forced to resign. Daniel talks to the deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Mona Sahlin who is also the minister of equality affairs.

Chinese orphans are placed in horrendous conditions, eading the majority of them to die of starvation and medical neglect. NPR's ary Kay Magistad reports on a study by Human Rights Watch/Asia, a U.S.-based onitoring group, which finds that the Chinese government singled out children or starvation in order to stabilize orphange populations.

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.

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.