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NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports on the most widely used school-based drug education program in the nation, Drug Abuse Resistance Education, known as DARE. DARE is a "just say no" curriculum taught in middle schools by police officers. Critics of the program say the DARE approach is too limited to be effective, especially with children who are likely to use drugs. Research released Monday by the US Department of Education confirms the program does not change kids' attitudes and behavior in the long term. But DARE is popular with schools and with Clinton's top drug advisors, who say it should continue to receive federal suppport.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of Charles Mingus. As an instrumentalist, he became known as "the Segovia of the bass" and championed the unwieldy instrument as a solo voice in jazz groups. He became one of the first bassists to lead his own group. But perhaps he made his greatest mark as a composer. He was inspired by Ellington and carried that great composer's ideas to new levels in the nearly 300 works Mingus left behind. Karen Michel (mih-SHELL) has this report on the life and music of one of America's true jazz innovators. (8:00) ((ST

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on the US military's plans to evacuate American citizens from Zaire if that country's civil war reaches the capital, Kinshasa. About a hundred and fifty American troops are in Brazzaville, the capital of neighboring Congo, just across the Zaire river from Kinshasa. Another two thousand are on the U-S-S Nassau, an ambphibious assault ship stationed off Zaire's coast. If an order to evacuate is given, the American forces are ready to move into Kinshasa with attack helicopters to evacuate the roughly five hundred U-S citizens there.

NPR's Elaine Korry reports on today's Labor Department announcement that first-time claims for jobless benefits took a dramatic drop last week. That put the four-week jobless claims average at an eight-year low. The nation's unemployment rate fell to 5.3% in February, amid strong job creation. The survey of business payrolls showed a net increase of 339,000 jobs for the month, far more than was expected. The stock and bond markets reacted favorably because there was little hint of any inflation in the new numbers.

-NPR'S Andy Bowers reports from Sarajevo on the seizure by NATO forces of what they call a Muslim terrorist training camp just outside the city. Eleven people, including three thought to be Iranians, were arrested at the camp, along with a large arms cache, including rifles, machine guns and booby traps. U.S. Admiral Leighton Smith, the commander of NATO forces in Bosnia, says elements of the mainly Muslim Bosnian government may have been involved in training some of the men to carry out terrorist acts.

NPR's Anne Garrels reports from Moscow on Russian President Boris Yeltsin's manuevers to improve his chances of re-election in next month's run-off. Yeltsin appointed former general Alexander Lebed ((LEH-bed)) to the Security Council. In turn, Lebed pledged his support to Yeltsin in the final round of voting. In the first round, Lebed came in third behind Yeltsin and Communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov ((gen-NAH-dee zyu-GAH-noff)). Zyuganov had also wooed Lebed for his support.

Peter Aronson reports from Mississippi on Kids Quest, a child care center at the Grand Casino Biloxi. Gamblers with children appreciate the convenience that Kids Quest provides. With its colorful atmosphere and video karaoke, Kids Quest is also popular among kids. Gambling critics argue that by offering child care, casinos are only encouraging compulsive gambling among parents. While the people who run the Kids Quest at the Grand Casino Biloxi believe that they provide a safe and exciting environment for kids, they are worried that some parents over-use the facility.

Marius Benson reports that Deputy President F.W. De Klerk and his National Party announced today that they will pull out of South Africa's government of national unity at the end of June. The move comes the day after parliament ratified the first post-apartheid constitution. After the next election in 1999, the constitution says the government will be based on majority rule, and De Klerk said the National Party wants to get an early start on establishing itself as a credible alternative to Nelson Mandela's African National Congress.

Mexico and reports on the business of smuggling illegal immigrants from Mexico into the U.S. Crossing the border has grown more difficult in the past few years... causing smugglers to drastically raise their prices. The U.S. is preparing to tighten security at the border even more in response to incidents of the past month. Yesterday, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a version of an immigration bill that would reinforce the U.S. border patrol and crack down on smuggling.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that Ghana today reluctantly agreed to permit an overcrowded freighter dock and unload more than three thousand people who had fled the fighting in Liberia. For the past ten days several West African nations, including Ghana, had refused to let the Bulk Challenge unload its desperate passengers, many of them hungry and sick. But after pressure from the United Nations and others, Ghana allowed the refugees to disembark today. A new camp will be built for them, but Ghana declared that it will not accept any more refugees.