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Republican lawmakers have given up their effort to allow states to bar the children of illegal immigrants from public schools. President Clinton had threatened to veto the overall immigration reform bill if it came to him with the ban included. The provision was supported by Bob Dole and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports that negotiators from the House and Senate agreed to drop the amendment in order to save the rest of the immigration bill.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Jerusalem that after the intercession of King Hussein and the threat that the US mediator Denis Ross would pack up and go home, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are finally close to signing an agreement for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Hebron. But what was held up the talks is not so much reaching an agreement on how the withdrawal should be handled. The real concern appears to be getting a commitment to time tables for further Israeli withdrawals in the next year from the occupied West Bank countryside.

NPR's Ann Cooper reports that the United States and other nations are increasingly concerned that fighting in eastern Zaire will lead to a regional war involving Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi. At the same time, the United Nations is trying to figure out how to care for the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have been forced to flee their Zairean camps because of the violence. So far, however, no one has any idea how to end the conflict or help the refugees.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports from Moscow on the jockeying for position to succeed Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin has only been in the Kremlin three weeks since last June and now that he's back in the hospital recovering from pneumonia, there's increased interest in the unofficial race to succeed him. Political observers say one of the leading contedners is a man who has never proclaimed himself a candidate, the mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov ((YUHR-ee LOOZH-koff)).

Key members of Congress say they are ready to negotiate on President Clinton's proposal to take over some of the responsibilities of the District of Columbia government. The city would lose its annual 660 million dollar payment, but would be relieved of jobs like collecting city income taxes and running prisons for the most serious offenders. NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that proponents hope the federal government can do better than the city, which they see as badly mismanaged.

State officials across the country heard talk of welfare reform two years ago, and realized how poorly equipped their states were to accept new welfare responsibilities. NPR's John Nielsen reports that governors and legislators instituted new programs to trim costs and now say they are ready to handle the burdens of reform. But some analysts warn that because a strong national economy is fueling much of the improvement, a recession could ruin the states' progress.

Maria Martin reports from Guatemala that the historic peace accord promises full legal and social rights for the nation's long-repressed Mayan Indian majority. The hope this has inspired in the Mayas is especially strong in Quezaltenango, Guatemala's second-largest city. It's the first major Guatemalan city to have a Mayan mayor and a Mayan majority on its city council. The mayor's efforts to improve services are beginning to win over non-Mayans.

The FBI has arrested one of its own on charges of spying for Moscow. Earl Edwin Pitts, who has been with the FBI for 13 years, is accused of taking more than 200-thousand dollars to spy for the Soviet Union, beginning in 1987. NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports that Pitts was arrested at work at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, today. Pitts faces attempted espionage and conspiracy charges that could put him in prison for life.

In recent years, there has been a sharp decline in the number of Catholics who are choosing religious vocations. Some predictions are dire...suggesting that many religious orders may soon disappear. Among Catholic nuns, there are more women over the age of 90 than under 30.The Church is also having to face the economic and social problems involved in caring for this elderly population. Producer Mary Beth Kirchner reports on the future of nuns in America.

NPR's Edward Lifson reports from Belgrade that it appears today as if Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic is giving in to Opposition protesters. For nearly nine weeks, a coalition of demonstrators has been rallying against the Milosevic government. They have been protesting a decision in November that annulled the results of municipal elections. Today, the election commission, thought to be controlled by Milosevic, announced the Opposition had won the Belgrade city assembly and the country's second largest city, Nis (NEESH). This isn't a final decision, however, and the Opposition is still wary. Leaders say the demonstrations will continue.