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NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports on the Commission on United States-Pacific Trade and Investment Policy. The commission has been working to draw up a list of policy options that might help pry open Asian markets. It's getting a lot of publicity because one of its members is Charles Yah Lin Trie the Democratic fundraiser who raised some allegedly improper and illegal funds for the Democratic Party.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that officials from the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are working out details of a plan to bring about the most ambitious trade liberalization plan in history. But as they were meeting, there were noisy demonstrations against the plan on the streets of Manila. Opponents complain that freer trade will allow large multi-national corporations to exploit the region's poor and the environment.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports on the dilemma facing Peru as it tries to resolve the hostage crisis at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima. Various governments, apparently including the US, have diplomats being held hostage, and they have different ways of approaching such situations. While US policy is not to negotiate with hostage-takers, other governments are urging Peru to protect their citizens and not resort to force.

NPR's Vicki O'Hara reports that Georgia President Eduard Shevarnadze (ED-yoo-ahrd shehv-ahrd-NAHD-zuh) has offered to lift the diplomatic immunity of the number two man in his Washington Embassy following the official's automobile crash last weekend that killed a 16-year-old Brazilian girl. The lifting of the diplomat's immunity would open the way for his possible prosecution.

NPR's Ann Cooper reports from Kigali on the relief community's efforts to resettle the roughly half-million Rwandan refugees who have returned from Zaire over the past few days. United Nations officials say that the process has been relatively orderly, given the massive numbers of people who suddenly started pouring across the border last Friday.

NPR's Vicki O'Hara reports that just when the Clinton administration seemed resigned to the fact that the Saddam Hussein-backed Kurdish militia of Massoud Barzani had achieved dominance of the portion of northern Iraq under US air patrols, his Iran-based rivals have struck back, recapturing a number of key Kurdish towns they had abandoned to Barzani without a fight last month.

Austrians, voting for the first time for members of the European Parliament, have given the extreme right its most impressive election showing ever. The Freedom Party won almost 28% of the vote, alarming the rest of Europe-- the party campaigned on an openly racist, anti-European Union platform. Deidre Berger reports from Frankfurt on the reaction in Europe.

Amy Bernstein reports on the Genesis Jobs program in Baltimore, MD, that tries to bridge the gap between employer and employee, and is successful at placing hundreds of entry-level workers in jobs each year...without government money or special jobs training. It uses a sort of 'tough love' approach, forcing the job candidate to prove his or her motivation and commitment through a series of challenges.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports on the damage assessments from the flooding throughout California. Today, more evacuation alerts were issued in the northern part of the state. Several major levee breaks have created catastrophic flooding in Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties. One new concern is water contamination -- officials now fear that saltwater could be pushed up the San Joaquin delta into the drinking-water supply for Los Angeles.

Congressional and White House budget negotiators are close to agreement on a plan to balance the budget by 2002. However, Democratic congressional leaders have raised concerns that proposed spending cuts are too deep and that proposed tax cuts are too great. The White House says President Clinton won't sign on until a majority of Democrats are on board. Negotiations were expected to go all day long. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports.