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Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers today urged Congress to approve the administration's request for $472 million, to provide debt relief to developing nations. Republican leaders in the House are refusing to approve the full amount and are holding out for reforms at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the institutions that manage the debt relief program. NPR's Kathleen Schalch has this story.

An investigation by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer revealed that the three major brands of crayons -- Crayola, Prand and Rose Art -- all contain asbestos. Linda talks with Andrew Schneider, who reported on the story for the Seattle newspaper.

Commentator Lorraine Johnson Coleman offers some helpful tips for Yankee tourists heading down south over the next few months on vacation, particularly on the delicate subject of food.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that the Clinton administration is consulting with other Latin American nations with regard to possible punitive steps to be taken against Peru. The US sharply criticized Peru's government for not postponing Sunday's presidential runoff to deal with irregularities. A state department spokesman refused to say what steps, if any, the US is prepared to take against President Alberto Fujimori. Peru receives the most US aid in Latin America after Colombia, and is a close partner with Washington in fighting drug trafficking.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports on changes in the Reform Party. The name of the party is still the same, but nearly everything else has changed. The dispute over who's running the party erupted at the party convention in California. {5:15}

Latin bandleader Tito Puente died today at the age of 77 in a hospital in New York. Puente was hospitalized recently for heart problems and canceled all his concerts in May. He recorded over 100 albums in his long music career. He won five Grammys — the most recent this year for best traditional tropical Latin performance for "Mambo Birdland."

Commentator Beth Brophy talks about attending this weekend's annual Race for The Cure, sponsored by the Komen Foundation in Washington, D.C. Most cancer survivors who participate wear a pink t-shirt to signify their status, but Brophy -- who has breast cancer herself -- says she doesn't like calling herself a "survivor."

Israeli forces -- moving towards a June 1st deadline set by their government -- are pulling out of southern Lebanon. Israeli-allied militiamen are also fleeing the area that Israeli forces have occupied for the past 22-years. As they leave, Lebanese civilians are moving in. And Hizbolla forces have taken over 14 villages as the Israeli and SLA forces vacate the previously Israeli-occupied zone. Robert talks with Nicholas Blanford, a correspondent for the Daily Star, an English language newspaper in Beirut, Lebanon, about the situation.

Researchers estimate that children 19 and younger influenced half a trillion dollars worth of purchases in the U.S. last year. With that kind of buying power on the line, advertisers are eager for help in targeting the nation's youngest consumers. Increasingly, marketers are getting their intelligence from psychologists who use their expertise. NPR's Elaine Korry reports that now, some psychologists are calling for the practice to be banned.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR's White House Correspondent, Mara Liasson about President Clinton's response to legislation passed in Congress before it left for the week for the Fourth of July. The President is in New York for the holiday.