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Jennifer Ludden reports that Zaire's longtime ruler Mobutu Sese Seko returned from a four-month absence today. Tens of thousands of people welcomed him as he returned to the capital, Kinshasa. Mobutu has been receiving treatment for prostate cancer in Europe. While he was away a civil war erupted, and the rebellion threatens to split up one of Africa's largest nations.

Linda talks with Dr. Ed Kilborn, a Research Professor of Microbiology at New York Medical College, about why influenza seems to strike and spread more during the winter than in any other season. Kilborn says it's a combination of factors...including the dryness of the air and the fact that the flu viruses tend to incubate better when people stay close together indoors in overheated environments.

President Clinton's choice for defense secretary, retiring Senator William Cohen, is expected to win easy confirmation by the Senate. The Senate usually embraces nominations of former members. Plus, Cohen is a Republican, seeking the approval of the GOP-led body. Democrats are expected to support the appointment, in part because Cohen has been independent during his three terms, opposing Republican leaders on issues including the Iran-Contra affair. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold has a profile.

NPR's diplomatic correspondents... Ted Clark, Tom Gjelten and Mike Shuster... talk with Noah about the various world-wide challenges and unfinished business that President Clinton's new National Security staff will face in such arenas as Bosnia, the Middle East, NATO, Russia and China in the coming four years.

Commissioners in Miami are trying to sort out the city's troubled finances. With a sixty-eight million dollar deficit, the city is in a state of financial emergency. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports that Miami officials are now scrambling to collect fees to make up some of the shortfall.

Daniel Schorr proposes a somewhat unorthodox way that President Clinton might raise money for his legal defense fund.

NPR's Mary Kay Magistad reports that China is proceeding full speed ahead with construction of a gigantic dam at the site in the central part of the country. Chinese officials said the Three Gorges dam will help alleviate periodic flooding that rountinely kills thousands of people in China, but many environmentalists dispute that. They say the dam will disrupt the lives of thousands of people and do severe damage to the environment.

Today marks the 100th birthday of Ira Gershwin who died in 1983 at the age of 86. One man who knew Ira and his work well is ROBERT KIMBALL who compiled and edited The Complete Lyrics of Ira Gershwin. (Knopf) He also serves as artistic advisor to the estate of Ira Gershwin. Kimball is currently working on the next book in The Knopf series "The Complete Lyrics of Irvine Berlin." Today's 100th birthday event will be in New York. The ceremony "Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall" will be televised on PBS on Great Performances in March 1997. Our interview with Kimball was originally aired on 1/

Rock historian ED WARD tells us about bass player Carol Kaye who he says, in the early 1960s, "virtually invented electric bass playing."INT. 2: LAURA JOPLIN is the younger sister of the rock legend Janis Joplin. Her new book "Love XX Janis," (Villard Books) was inspired by a bundle of letters Laura found of her sister''s. This is the first time the letters are published. LAURA was six years younger than Janis, and was 21 when Janis died. There''s a new VH1 documentary series "Legends" about Janis Joplin in which Laura reads some of the letters of her sister. (It debuted Dec 2.) REV. 2 : Film critic JOHN POWERS reviews "The Crucible."

Senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that there is much to be learned from previous hostage-taking situations.