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Ohio Representative James Traficant is the subject of a federal investigation, in connection with free construction work and free cars the Congressman allegedly received from Ohio businessmen with interests before the government. Twenty years ago, when Traficant was a county sheriff, he was charged with taking bribes. He defended himself in court and won. His popularity launched him to Congress. Now, Traficant makes clear he's ready to defend himself again. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

NPR's Guy Raz reports Macedonian security forces ended a 24-hour cease-fire today and launched a new round of attacks against positions held by ethnic Albanian rebels around the city of Tetovo. Soon after the assault began, two Albanian men were shot dead by security forces at a checkpoint. The European Union's Javier Solana was in the capital, Skopje, for the second time this week and expressed hope the crisis will soon be resolved.

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports from Moscow that Russia today declared four U.S. diplomats persona non grata and will ask another 46 more to leave the country by summer. This follow's Washington's announcement it is expelling four Russians linked to alleged U.S. spy Robert Hanssen and has ordered out an additional 46 diplomats. Both governments, however, are playing down the long-term impact of the spy dispute on U.S.-Russian relations.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports that the British government has called-in its military to help with the outbreak of foot-and mouth disease there. Nineteen new cases were found yesterday. Farmers are furious about the government's handling of slaughtered animals, as corpses pile up and rot. The tourism industry faces hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports on China's demand that the United States end all reconnaissance flights over its waters -- even those in international airspace. Experts say the Chinese have been growing increasingly aggressive in their attempts to interfere with U.S. surveillance flights, culminating in the current detaining of the crew of the Navy spy plane that was forced to make an emergency landing after colliding with a Chinese fighter jet.

The Senate has now spent five days debating a bill designed to reduce the flow of money into federal election campaigns. The bill would outlaw so-called "soft money" contributions, large amounts of unregulated cash that go not to candidates but to the political parties. So far, the amendments that might have crippled the bill have been turned back. And although the bill has been turned back repeatedly in the past, this spring it seems to be building momentum. NPR's Peter Overby reports.

NPR's Guy Raz reports from Macedonia on new fighting today between ethnic Albanian militants and the Macedonian army. The gun battles took place near the city of Tetovo, deeper inside the country than previous clashes, which have been confined to the area near the border with Kosovo. Macedonian president Boris Trajkovski expressed confidence the army can contain the unrest, although he branded the militants separatists. The rebels say they are fighting for greater rights for Macedonia's ethnic Albanians -- a third of the total population.

Janet Heimlich reports that even though foot-and-mouth disease has not appeared in the United States since 1929, many livestock-producing states are telling ranchers to take precautions. Texas animal health officials are worried that the disease could be brought in by travelers, particularly in contaminated meat. They are telling ranchers to isolate new animals for a few days, disinfect the boots of visitors from abroad, and watch their animals for symptoms. Not all ranchers are paying attention.

Allison Aubrey reports that Coca-Cola made a very public announcement today that it is changing the way its flagship product is marketed in the nation's schools. The Atlanta-based company says it will urge its bottlers to end the practice of negotiating "exclusive" contracts with school districts. The company also promised to give school kids more choice by stocking vending machines with healthier options. Many parent groups have criticized the exclusive contract arrangement.

David D'Arcy reports from the Berlin International Film Festival on the screening of a five-year-old film starring actor Leonardo Di Caprio, Don's Plum. DiCaprio won a legal battle to allow the filmmakers to show the film outside of North America, for fear that nudity and explicit language would tarnish the actor's reputation.