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NPR's Sunni Khalid reports on changes in the economy of Syria. The country has been governed by President Hafez al-Assad since 1970, and for most of that time the economy has been under his tight controls as well. But five years ago, the government enacted Public Law Number 10, which relaxed the government's control of production and trade. Since that time, Syrian consumers have had access to more foreign goods, and more Syrian-made products are for sale in the rest of the world.

about why some people seem to be able to eat as much food as they want, without gaining weight. Americans typically put on about five to seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

of Arthur Miller's " >The Crucible."

NPR's Richard Harris reports that two mathematicians have independently arrived at conclusions that show that the inclusion of wild cards in poker games upsets the balance of five-card poker. When wild cards are included, the hand that's technically the hardest to achieve does not always win the game.

on TV and radio advertising. Many are concerned that the move will only encourage teens to switch from drinking beer and wine to drinking distilled liquor.

Veta Christy reports on a decision by the Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power plant to close permanently. The nation's second oldest reactor was shut down in July due to safety concerns, but was scheduled to run for another 10 years. Analysts say the shutdown could signal big changes for the nation's utilities.

Robert talks with Charles Dick, researcher at the Conflict Studies Research Centre in England, about the state of the Russian Army. Dick's report is titled "A Bear Without Claws: The Russian Army in the Nineties." Dick says that while the Soviet Army was a relatively effective force, the Russian Army is corrupt and ill-prepared for crisis. Dick says severe hazing is endemic in the Russian Army, and an estimated three to four thousand servicemen die annually from non-combat causes. The article is published in a journal called "Geopolitique."

NPR's Ted Clark reports that the United States and other nations are rethinking the scope and mandate of a proposed multinational military force for Zaire. The sudden return of about half-a-million Rwandan refugees over the weekend dramatically altered the humanitarian situation along the Rwanda/Zaire border. Rwanda says there is no longer a need for a force, but the US and others point out that there are still an estimated half-million refugees stranded elsewhere in Zaire, cut off from food and water by fighting between Zairean rebels and exiled Rwandan militias.

the Pope and Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Linda and Noah give suggestions for disposing of plutonium from over the years.