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President Clinton today renewed most favored nation status for China. Congress must vote on the renewal, and many members have been critical of China's human rights record and its lack of action on the infringement of American copyrights. Last week, the President threatened to institute massive tariffs on some Chinese products. NPR's White House correspondent Mara Liasson reports.

NPR's Nina Totenberg reports on independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who is investigating the Whitewater affair. The Republican Starr has been controversial from the time of his appointment, when there were charges that he had been chosen for political reasons. Now Starr is under attack from Democrats because he has continued to represent private clients, including a tobacco company in a huge class action suit.

Noah talks with Edmund Roy, an India-based reporter for the Australian Broadasting Corporation, about yesterday's elections in the state of Kashmir. Government troops forced citizens to vote, herding them to polling stations, threatening them if they didn't participate. Exit polls show more than 40 percent of the people voted, but Roy says the day's events call into question the notion of free and fair elections in democratic India.

A new study indicates that kids who get special emphasis on music and arts classes also do well in other areas, such as math and reading. In the study, elementary school students who were given more music and arts classes that encouraged active participation tended to score better on subsequent math and reading tests. Michelle Trudeau reports.

The Supreme Court today let stand a lower court ruling that blocks affirmative action programs at three state-run southern colleges. The lower court had labelled the programs as unlawful reverse discrimination. The ruling applies directly to Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, but could influence courts in other states as they consider challenges to affirmative action programs in higher education. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

NPR's John Nielsen reports that Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin today met with a group of black ministers in Washington. He pledged that federal investigators would work to win the trust of the black community. The ministers had complained about how federal investigators were handling the investigation of the black church burnings. Today, Rubin said the federal government will not be satisfied until the cases are solved.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali...who has announced he wants to serve another term...is going to face a major hurdle in the race: The United States. The Clinton Administration plans to block his re-election using the U.S. veto at the U.N.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports on a ruling by the California Supreme Court that significantly affects the state's "three-strikes" law. The law required judges to sentence felons to 25 years to life after their third conviction. The state supreme court has ruled that judges should have discretion to hand down a lighter sentence.

More Americans are relying on investments to help them buy a house or to pay the college bills...but most investors can't even distinguish between different kinds of mutual funds. As NPR's Elaine Korry reports, that makes for a rich climate for rogue brokers...and it makes it important for investors to investigate the person who's handling their money.

NPR's Joanne Silberner reports on two federal HMO programs for the elderly. People who join get not just medical care - they also receive social supports like home nursing aides -- but members are limited to the health care providers in the HMOs. The goal is to keep people as healthy as possible as long as possible while holding down costs. So far, at least, there are few complaints about the programs.