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the federal health insurance program for the poor, NPR's Vicky Que looks at a trend in some states to cut back or eliminate their own medical assistance programs which provide health care to the unemployed and working poor who are not covered by Medicaid. Is it a harbinger of what they might do with the federal program?

Commentator Daniel Pinkwater has noticed there is an enormous craze for cigars these days. A cigar culture has emerged to accompany the fad, which can be explored in cigar magazines like, "Cigar Afficianado."

Robert talks to author Brenda Stevenson about her book Family and Community in the Slave South. Which tells the story of Blacks and Whites in the early days of Loudon County, Virginia. She has found that contrary to many other histories, there is little evidence of strong nuclear family life among slaves. She says the cause is partly traced to the central role of extended family in west africa which precluded european-style nuclear family -- and the habit of slaveowners moving individual slaves around, destroying relationships.

Although the fishing season started last weekend in Wisconsin many of the northern lakes are still frozen. Nick Van der Puy [pie] found one fishing spot where anglers are catching walleye.

NPR's Julie McCarthy analyzes whether the new US-Japan security pact will create a new, more active role for the Japanese military. Already a debate is beginning about whether the pact could eventually bend, or violate, Japan's pacifist constitution.

NPR'S Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome on the trial of a former Nazi SS Captain charged with one of Italy's worst massacres during the second World War. Erich Priebke ((preeb-keh)) was extradited to Italy last November from Argentina. He stands accused for his part in killing of 335 men and boys near Rome in 1944.

NPR's Ted Clark reports that the US is giving China one week to show it is trying to stop piracy of US movies, movies, and computer software. The US is threatening to impose 100 percent tariffs on $2 billion worth of Chinese exports if the Chinese do not comply -- roughly the amount that American companies believe they lose each year to intellectual theft.

NPR's Peter Kenyon reports the Air Force T-43 carrying Secretary Ron Brown and delegation wasn't equipped with the so called black box or flight data recorder. The pentagon says that's because the aircraft was procured as a training aircraft...and so it didn't come with that euipment as civilian aircraft do.

High school student Christopher Ajamu Kai (ah-JAH-moo KYE) iggins explores the impact of last Fall's Million Man March on his home ommunity in Berkeley, California. It's been six months since hundreds of housands of African American men attended the "day of atonement" in Washington, .C.

Robert and Linda read letters from listeners. Letters can be addressed to ATC LETTERS - 635 Massachussetts Ave., NW, Washington DC 20001 or by E-mail at ATC@NPR.ORG.