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South Carolina is the latest state to debate a six-week abortion ban. The state's Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday.

Noah talks to Scott Harris, senior writer for the Industry Standard magazine, about the life and career of Barney McNulty, who died earlier this week. McNulty is credited for inventing and perfecting the technique of cue cards used for television hosts starting in the late 1940s. McNulty was considered "king of the cue cards", and worked with the best in the business, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and others. He always said there was an art to being a "good flipper", keeping the right pace and rhythm with your talent. Decades after inventing the cue cards, they are still used today for TV talents such as David Letterman and Jay Leno.

Listeners respond to the commentary from Jesuit priest James Martin. Martin is advocating for an end to Christmas cards featuring family photos, and a return to those featuring religious images.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on the growing lobby against Mexican ID cards. Three states have passed bills barring their acceptance, arguing the cards violate federal law.

NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports on disappointing results released today from the National Assessment of Educational Progress -- a report known as the "nation's report card." Reading scores of fourth graders have improved little over the last eight years and the achievement gap between white and minority students remains substantial.

NPR's Snigdha Prakash reports on the voting machine business. Punch card machines, so widely-criticized during the recent presidential balloting in Florida, are used by some 30% of U.S. counties, cities and townships. The technology may be outdated and unreliable, but it is much cheaper than buying new, more advanced machines.

NPR's Ina Jaffe reports on the latest analysis of problems within the Los Angeles Police Department. An independent attorney was brought in to analyze the department's own inquiry into its troubled Rampart Division. Today, he made his first report on his findings. It wasn't good news for the LAPD.

President Clinton leaves tomorrow to visit Moscow and to meet with Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Daniel talks to NPR's Ann Garrels about the mood of the Russian people and the state of Russian politics. Russians find that the security of their lives under the Soviet system is gone and they are facing an uncertain future. She says that although Yeltsin is not popular, there are no political alternatives to his leadership.

Daniel Zwerdling talks to education researcher Gerald Bracey about the state of American education. Bracey feels, contrary to public opinion, that the education system is in fact doing very well. He says that the school system includes a more diverse group of students than it did 50 years ago and education standards compare very favourably with the rest of the industrialized world.

Around the country, there's a rush on this month to get married. NPR's Mandalit delBarco reports a last minute action by the Clinton administration has immigrants rushing to tie the knot. Under provision 245-i an immigrant without permanent residency status who marries someone who is a legal resident or citizen will not have to leave the U.S. in order to legitimize their immigration status. But the provision only lasts until the end of April.