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NPR's Ann Cooper reports on the work of South Africa's Truth Commission, which is trying to discover who was responsible for human rights abuses committed during apartheid. The commission has the power to grant amnesty to those who fully admit their crimes; the former white minority government insisted on this process as part of the price of a peaceful transition to democracy. While the Truth Commission's work is supposed to help heal the nation's wounds, testimony about gruesome acts of torture and murder is making it hard for many to forgive.

Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros released a report today suggesting that in the past four years, the Clinton administration has moved thousands of homeless from shelters to independence. NPR's Barbara Bradley reports that advocates for the homeless say the administration has taken the right approach. But they add that it's barely making a dent in the problem, and they worry that welfare reform and changes in the economy will swallow up any gains.

is going to coordinate its efforts directly with a state. Virginia will put unemployed welfare recipients into the jobs left vacant after INS raids to remove illegal immigrants from low-wage, low-skill jobs.

NPR's David Welna reports on Cuba's effort to increase food production by breaking its huge Soviet-style farm collectives into smaller farmer-run cooperatives. So far the project has had only limited success, largely because the co-ops are required to sell eighty percent of what they grow to the government, at artificially low official prices. In addition, the state controls what the co-ops produce. Critics say Fidel Castro doesn't want the co-ops to do too well because economic success would make them less dependent on the government.

Liane speaks with Salameh Ne'Matt (SAH-luh-may nay-MAHT) of the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hiyat (AHL high-YAHT) in Jordan about the reaction in the Arab world to the current stalemate in talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

It's still raining over much of the west. Gamblers are trapped in Reno hotels, and the casinos and bordellos are closed down for the first time in 100 years. The governor of Idaho has declared several counties disaster areas. In California, rivers in Napa and Sonoma counties are above flood stage. Damage is in the hundreds of millions of dollars -- much of it because of bad planning, according to experts. NPR's Richard Gonzales reports.

Scott talks to NPR's Joanne Silberner about health care reform in 1996, and they look ahead at what to expect in the new year.

Scott with some thoughts about the new year.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports that Russians are confused about which holidays they should be celebrating.

NPR's Mark Roberts reports from Denver, the site of the Federal trial of Oklahoma City bombing defendant, Timothy McVeigh. Throngs of media and family members of the 168 victims are nervously awaiting a verdict outside the Byron C. Rogers Federal Courthoue. On Friday, the case went to the jury. The jury continues it's deliberations today.

NPR's Mike Shuster reports on the latest squabble over NATO membership. This time the criticism is not coming from Russia, but from NATO members themselves.