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Scientists in Scotland say they have cloned an adult sheep. This is the first time that scientists have reported cloning an adult mammal. Many are now wondering whether the same techniques could be used on human beings. Robert talks to several people about the implications of cloning. Dan Rosenberg, General Manager of Three Chimneys Farm, says cloning would make the business of breeding horses less interesting. Ruth Portilo, (poor- TIH - loh) director of the Center on Health Policy and Ethics at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, says that human cloning seems likely one day. Ted Peters, Professor of Theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California says that cloning may be unwise, but not unethical. And Dr. Leon Kass, the Addie Clark Harding Professor at the College and Committee of Social Thought at the University of Chicago, says that human cloning denies the essense of the individual.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that President Clinton has agreed in principle to contribute as many as several thousand US troops to a proposed multinational effort to get food and medicine to about a million refugees in eastern Zaire. A White House spokesman said that once such a force is established, perhaps one thousand American troops would deploy in Zaire, helping provide security at a key airport and along special corridors set up to get aid to the mostly Rwandan refugees cut off by recent fighting. The spokesman said most of the US forces would be outside of Zaire, acting in support of the aid operation.

- San Fernando Valley, the home of valley-speak and a certain "L.A. attitude," wants to secede. At least some people there do, and they've got a bill in the state legislature that would make them a separate city--the sixth largest in the U.S. NPR's Ina Jaffe reports on the reasons behind the Valley's separation blues.

From Jerusalem, Laurie Neff reports that the Middle East peace process is facing a new crisis. Palestinians are furious over recent Israeli moves to build a new settlement in East Jerusalem, and their staging of a smaller-than-expected withdrawal from rural occupied territory in the West Bank. Israel's moves have brought the nation strong international criticism...even from the normally moderate King Hussein of Jordan, with whom Netanyahu met personally only two weeks ago. (3:30) 2B CUTAWAY 0:59 Funder 0:29 XPromo 0:29 CUTAWAY 2B 0:29 RETURN2 0:29 NEWS 2:59 NEWS 1:59 THEME MUSIC 0:29 2C

NPR's Rick Karr reports on today's appointment of Francis E. George as Archbishop of Chicago. Rev. George, who has been Archbishop of Portland since last May, succeeds Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who died of cancer in November. At a news conference in Chicago hours after the Vatican announced his selection, Reverend George said there was no theological distance between him and Bernardin, but he acknowledged that their leadership styles are different. Bernardin was a moderate conciliator who encouraged dialogue among dissenting factions in the church. The powerful Archdiocese of Chicago is the nation's second-largest, and the prelate who leads its 2.74 million Catholics exerts substantial influence on church policy. The new Archbishop is expected to be elevated to Cardinal, the customary rank for the head of the Chicago Archdiocese.

Foreign editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, DAVID ZUCCHINO. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting from South Africa. In his new book "Myth of the Welfare Queen," (Scribner) he turns his attention to his own town, Philadelphia, where he follows the lives of two welfare mothers, Odessa Williams and Cheri Honkala. One reviewer writes, "David Zucchino has shattered unequivocably the stereotype of women receiving welfare." 12:28:30 FORWARD PROMO (:29)12:29:00 I.D. BREAK (:59)12:

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports from Moscow that Spanish police today acted on an international arrest warrant and detained Russian media tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky at his villa in southern Spain. He was taken to Madrid for a hearing before the National Court, which handles extradition cases. Russian prosecutors have charged Gusinsky with embezzlement, alleging that he misrepresented the assets of his Media-Most conglomerate in order to obtain a loan from Russia's mainly state-owned gas monopoly. Gusinsky's supporters deny the charges and say the Kremlin is hounding him because his NTV television network and other media outlets have been sharply critical of President Vladimir Putin.

NPR's Gerry Hadden reports Mexico's new president has won his first big battle, winning approval of his budget for 2001 from a divided congress. Dealing with the Mexican congress was expected to be one of the biggest challenges for Vicente Fox. Although analysts call the budget approval a political victory, it was not without cost. Fox was forced to give up spending money on big infrastructure projects, which he believes is the most effective way to lift people out of poverty. Instead, the money went to housing and social programs that more immediately help the poor. Fox's overall economic plan is in some jeopardy because oil prices have dropped below the lower limit his budget had anticipated. Oil revenues account for about a third of Mexico's budget.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports from Havana that Cuban jazz -- which Fidel Castro at one time tried to suppress-- is becoming increasingly important in international music circles and to the island nation's economy. Cuba's growing dependence on tourism has revitalized Havana clubs, which draw jazz fans from around the world, especially during the annual Havana Jazz festival. Jazz has become one of the regular points of contact between the U-S and Cuba as artists from both countries travel back and forth. Cuba now allows its musicians to perform abroad and even to sign record deals, something unimaginable in the early days of the Cuban revolution.

NPR's Rob Gifford reports from Beijing that the world's most populous country- China-- is trying to find out how many people live within its borders. Six million census takers have begun to spread out across the country, trying to count a population that 10 years ago numbered some 1.13 billion people.. There are serious obstacles, other than the size of the country. Most people live in rural areas, where residents commonly defy the country's one-child policy. Many who live in the cities also might be reluctant to talk to census takers as they moved to urban centers from the impoverished hinterlands, without first obtaining the proper papers.