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Muslims all over the world are celebrating the Feast of Sacrifice today, marking the end of the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. There are several rituals performed during the pilgrimage and to better understand them we asked three Americans who practice Islam to reflect on their experiences.

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a day of celebration for Mexican-Americans, and among the foods found at fiestas today is a dish called menudo, which is prepared from tripe. Tripe is the inner lining of a cow's stomach. NPR's Ina Jaffe sent us this report about a California company that manufactures menudo in a can.

Bobby Hill reviews Casandra Wilson's current cd New Moon Daughter. It is a collection of songs by contemporary songwriters done with a hushed dirgeful voice. (6:30) THE CD IS CALLED NEW MOON DAUGHTER BY CASANDRA WILSON ON BLUENOTE RECORDS. (IN S

NPR's Vicky Que reports that a new study is raising questions about whether certain hormone-based contraceptives may increase the risks of becoming infected with the AIDS virus. In the study, researchers found that monkeys that received the hormone progesterone were more likely to be infected with SIV, the monkey equivament of HIV, than monkeys that did not receive the hormone. The findings suggest that contraceptives like Norplant may not only NOT protect against HIV, but may actually enhance a woman's chances of becoming infected. Researchers cautioned, however, that more research is needed to determine whether the findings hold true for humans.

NPR's Sue Simpson reports on the anxiety in South Africa's mixed-race, or "colored," community, in the new era of black majority rule. Under apartheid, coloreds were treated better than blacks--they could own businesses and got preferential treatment in housing and jobs. Now many fear that they will become second-class citizens in the new South Africa, as Nelson Mandela's government tries to improve the lot of the black community.

Noah Adams speaks with mountain climber Jon Krakauer about his experience last week on Mt. Everest. Krakauer and his team were caught near the peak when a storm hit on Friday, killing at least 9 climbers. Krakauer, author of "Into the Wild" (Villard: New York, 1996) and a contributing editor of Outside Magazine, spoke to us from Katmandu, Nepal.

and security in Russia and other former republics of the Soviet Union. With the breakup of the USSR, thousands of nuclear warheads and tons of weapons-grade material were left stockpiled in numerous facilities without adequate security. There is growing fear that terrorists will obtain such material. On Friday in Moscow, President Yeltsin, President Clinton and the leaders of the other G-7 industrialized nations will gather to discuss ways to minimize the danger.

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports...republicans on capitol hill are sturggling to come up with a way to pay for the temporary gas tax repeal they want to vote into law. And democrats want to make sure consumers get the benefits of any tax cut. Democrats also are trying to come up with a way to bring to a vote..legislation to raise the minimum wage.

In the second of two reports, NPR's Michael Skoler explores the issue of foreign intervention in Burundi's mounting internal crisis. The United Nations is discussing the idea of forming some sort of force that could stabilize the situation, but no country can figure out how a peacekeeping force could stop the killing. In addition, Burundi's government and the Tutsi minority--which still controls the army--don't want any foreign troops in the country.

NPR's Steve Inskeep (INZ-keep) reports on the ruins of a Scottish castle that stand on a tiny island in the middle of the Hudson River in upstate New York ... ruins which appear on the misty water like a chunk of debris from some medieval flood. The castle was built as a home and warehouse by Francis Bannerman, a turn-of-the-century weapons dealer. Today, his castle is seen by thousands of commuters in passing trains...and an effort is underway to stabilize the ruins before they collapse into the harbor.