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U.S. Rep. John Thune (R-SD) will not contest his narrow loss in a bid to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson. Thune says a recount would be "painful for the state." The margin of Johnson's victory was just over 500 votes. Curt Nickisch of South Dakota Public Radio reports.

William Webster steps down as head of a new accounting oversight board created to regulate the troubled auditing industry. His appointment was mired in controversy after reports that SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt failed to inform commissioners that Webster once served on the board of a company accused of fraud. Pitt has also resigned. Hear NPR's Jim Zarroli.

NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports on the ongoing meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where the discussion is focused on child abuse by the clergy. Among the votes planned for tomorrow is one on a statement that bishops will hold one another responsible for implementing the policies by fraternal correction. One bishop also said public pressure will hold the bishops accountable. But lay groups pushing for stronger protections for minors say the bishops promised 10 years ago they would be accountable, but went on placing offending priests in parishes.

NPR's Anne Garrels reports from Moscow that the hostage crisis in the Russian city of Budenovsk (pronounced: bood-YAWN-uhfsk) took a turn for the worse today, as Russian government troops stormed the hospital where Chechen fighters are holding more than one thousand civilians hostage, but failed to end the crisis. Some hostages were freed, around 200. But most remained captive. Negotiations continue. And in Moscow, the political fallout is accumulating, as Boris Yeltsin's government tries to figure out how to end the crisis without further loss of civilian lives.

Tovia Smith reports that New Hampshire have been inundated with campaign ads in recent weeks as rivals for the Republican presidential nomination try to outdo each other on the airwaves. This unprecedented use of television advertising -- in a state where previous campaigns were waged mostly in living rooms and meeting halls -- is partly due to the massive influx of campaign spending by millionaire businessman Steve Forbes. Some analysts say the increasingly negative ads will only turn off voters.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports on the latest discussions among America's major trading partners about their possible retaliation for the Helms-Burton law. Helms-Burton punishes certain foreign companies that do business in Cuba; it's the most drastic law of its kind ever enacted in the United States. Mexico, Canada, and the European Union have not yet announced specific counter-measures, but recent history with similar laws shows that foreign governments can make it illegal for their companies to follow U-S orders.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that the stock market sustained serious losses today, with its key barometer off as much as one hundred thirty-three points at one point. Technology stocks were particularly hard-hit, following computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard's announcement that it would discontinue making disk-drive components. This news, combined with Motorola's announcement of lower-than-expected earnings and a lower bond market, sparked a sell-off that triggered the Stock Exchange's "uptick rule" that restricts computer-driven sell programs to stabilize the market.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on the fallen fortunes of Liberia's Americo-Liberians (uh-MEHR-ih-koh ly-BEER-ee-unz), the descendants of the freed American slaves who founded the country 150 years ago. For much of Liberia's history, the Americo-Liberians dominated politics and business, and discriminated against native Liberians. Many say this set the stage for the warfare that has ruined the country over the past six years. Now the Americo-Liberians have been reduced to watching from the sidelines while the various militias battle for power.

Charlie Mayer reports on the 1996 Student Auto Skills National Quality Care Challenge. The Quality Care Challenge was held this past Monday on The Mall in Washington. D.C. Josh Garrison and Josh Lamb of Paris, Texas won the competition, beating forty-nine other teams from the United States and one exhibition team from Canada. The Quality Care Challenge is an annual event in which the best high school automotive technicians in the country race against the clock to repair identically "bugged" automobiles. (3:30) ((ST

An immigration appeals panel has granted asylum to a woman who fears she will be subject to genital mutilation if she returns to her home in Togo. The 19-year-old woman fled the West African country in 1994 and was detained in jails in the U-S until last month. An immigration judge had rejected her asylum claim in August, 1995, saying female genital mutilation would not count as persecution against her because it was done to her peers. NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports.