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Vice Premier Qian Qichen is in Washington. He is the highest ranking Chinese official to visit since the Bush administration took office. Qian will meet with the president tomorrow at the White House. China's top concern right now is a decision Mr. Bush must soon make on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Taiwan wants to buy advanced anti-missile technology (Aegis destroyers) but China is adamantly opposed to such a sale. If the sale goes through, some analysts say China will drop the more moderate stance it has recently adopted toward Taiwan. Other analysts say China's views should not be a factor in any U.S. decision to sell weapons to Taiwan.

NPR's Joe Palca reports on a dilemma Americans are facing with drug treatments. Researchers are offering more new drugs designed to prevent, rather than cure disease. While that's good news, some of these drugs have serious side effects. How do clinicians and patients decide their risk of disease is high enough to justify taking a potentially dangerous drug for a disease they may never get?

NPR's Jon Hamilton reports on today's seizure of a flock of Vermont sheep that some suspect may have been in contact with mad cow disease. The owners of the flock maintain that the sheep do not have the disease and have not been exposed to it. Nevertheless, federal officials arrived at the farm today and removed the sheep. The flock was quarantined in 1998 after being imported from Belgium. Federal offiicials maintain that the sheep ate contaminated feed while there. Since then, the Agriculture Department says tests show four sheep have a form of disease related to mad cow.

NPR's Sarah Chayes reports from the Hague, where, for the first time today a high-level delegation from Yugoslavia visited the war crimes tribunal. The delegates tried to show that Belgrade is now cooperating with the court. They said they were prepared to send suspects to the tribunal who are not Yugoslav citizens, meaning Bosnian Serbs who have been living in Yugoslavia. The United States Congress has demanded that the new authorities in Belgrade cooperate with the war crimes tribunal by the end of this month or forfeit U.S. aid.

The president of the International Flat Earth Society has died in Lancaster, Calif. Charles Johnson believed the Earth is actually as flat and circular as a phonograph record, with the North Pole right in the middle. Johnson and his fellow believers have rejected NASA and space exploration as an elaborate hoax perpetrated by the government. He was 76 years old.

Russell Lewis of member station KPBS reports on what is known about the 15-year old suspect in the Santana High School shooting. People who knew him said he was an angry youth who'd been bullied because of his size and personality.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports from Jerusalem. As Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon prepares to take office tomorrow, Palestinian militants have threatened bomb attacks in protest.

NPR's Guy Raz explores the back-alleys of Istanbul, where Turkey's real currency traders determine the value of the lira.

NPR's Ina Jaffe reports on allegations of environmental racism in a southern California community. Residents of Southgate, a primarily Latino town, claim their area has been chosen as the proposed site for a new power plant because energy company officials assume they are "stupid immigrants" who won't fight back.

Italian singer and songwriter Paolo Conte is a former lawyer from the small northern Italian town of Asti. He went from being an admirer of music to a musician in 1974 when he recorded his first album. He has since made a total of 11 albums.