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NPR's Jackie Northam reports that the Miss USA pageant is landing in an unlikely venue this year -- Gary, Indiana. The city, infamous for its murder rate, is hoping a beauty pageant will be the beginnings of an image makeover.

Linda Wertheimer talks with Samantha Newport, a freelance reporter for the Washington Post and BBC World Service; she is in Quito, Ecuador. Newport talks about the release of the foreign oil workers who had been kept hostage in the Amazon for four-and-a-half months. One hostage was killed three weeks ago when the ransom demands were not met. The remaining seven were released after their companies paid the $13 million ransom. Four of them are from the United States.

Bianculli reviews the season opener of The Sopranos on HBO Sunday night.

NPR's Barbara Bradley reports on a delay in a preliminary hearing for accused FBI spy Robert Hanssen. He'll have a detention hearing Monday at which federal authorities will ask a judge to keep him in jail. But they won't file an indictment until at least May 21, giving both sides more time to prepare. People experienced in espionage cases say the delay helps the defense, but also gives prosecutors more time to absorb the information they have so far, and work on ways to use evidence without revealing secret sources.

Davis talks about his experiences, growing up a hearing child with deaf parents. He had a complex and sometimes difficult relationship with his deaf, working-class Jewish immigrant parents. Its the subject of his memoir My Sense of Silence: Memoirs of a Childhood With Deafness). Davis is head of the English Department at the University of Illionis, Chicago. He has written several books and published essays in The Nation, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and other publications. He also published Shall I Say a Kiss: The Courtship Letters of a Deaf Couple , a compilation of his parents love letters.

The court case brought by the world's pharmaceutical companies against the South African Government has been postponed until mid April. The companies are trying to block a law that allows South Africa to import generic drugs or authorize their manufacture. The postponement gives the companies time to respond to the inclusion in the case of testimony by the country's leading AIDS activists. Brenda Wilson reports from Pretoria.

George is the name of a four-foot tall wild turkey living in a Newtonville, MA neighborhood. Because of him, mail delivery in the area has become a bit of a problem. Turns out George doesn't like the mail carrier all that much. Tim Hoban is the man who draws George's ire. The bird lunges, squawks and pecks at Hogan while he travels his daily route. He won't attack other carriers, just Hogan. Robert talks with postman about the foul fowl.

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.

NPR's Mandalit DelBarco reports on community reaction to yesterday's shooting at Santana High School and what's being done to cope with the tragedy. Many people are stunned, especially since the school had instituted a number of so-called "safe schools" measures in the wake of the shootings at Columbine H.S.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports that many business groups are working overtime to undo new regulations created in the waning days of the Clinton Administration. They are hopeful that with a Congress and White House now headed by Republicans they can get what they term regulatory relief. Now, they may be on the brink of winning the biggest prize of all--a roll back of OSHA's new ergonomic regulation. Senate Republicans are invoking a law that's never been used before--which allows congress to overturn regulations under a streamlined procedure, with a majority vote.

A rapidly growing number of Fortune 500 companies offer employees with same sex partners the same benefits once reserved for married couples. And half of the biggest coprorations have written policies against discrimination based on sexual orientation. The changing busines climate is making it easier for many gays and lesbians to be open at work about their sexuality, but fear and uncertainty still keep others in the closet.

NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports a series of violent incidents during Mardi Gras celebrations in Seattle are raising questions about whether Seattle police know how maintain order. One man died during chaotic Fat Tuesday partying while hundreds of police officers stood nearby. But the preceding weekend, the police had been accused of being overly aggressive in handling a revelers who got out of hand.