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The biggest welfare state in the country turns out to be a commonwealth, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, where nearly sixty percent of the population receives some form of welfare. Danny visits the island and examines why welfare is so widespread...it's linked to federal tax breaks that companies receive as an incentive to do business there. And he talks to Puerto Ricans about the impact welfare has had on the commonwealth's psyche.

Shirley Jahad reports on a Chicago ordinance that bans the sale of spray paint and thick markers. The measure was passed in an effort to reduce the city's graffitti problem. The paint industry has been challenging the law, which a Supreme Court justice this month refused to overturn.

Last week the Republicans in Congress approved a 200 billion dollar tax cut over the next five years. But as NPR's Jon Greenberg some Republicans are questioning the wisdom of cutting taxes before the deficit is reduced.

Chicago police officer ERIC DAVIS, known as "21" in the rap group the Slick Boys. DAVIS and two other officers founded the group in 1991 to provide positive role models for the inner-city kids they encountered on their jobs every day. The group has received national acclaim for their songs about the importance of getting an education and staying off of drugs and out of gangs. DAVIS grew up in the Cabrini-Green development of Chicago, where the three officers work. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE

DAVID VON DREHLE (VON DRAY-Lee) has written a new book, "Among the Lowest of the Dead: the Culture of Death Row"(Times Books). VON DREHLE reawakens the capital punishment debate using historical and personal observations and accounts of death row inmates, victims survivors, and the people in charge of the executions. He says keeping people in prison is a bargain compared to the price of death row appeals and the fact that only 5% of death row executions actually occur. VON DREHLE is arts editor of the Washington Post

2: Director BETTY THOMAS has directed a new movie, "The Brady Bunch." The film is straight from the TV series that ran from 1969-74, even down to the story line. But there is a twist. The innocent family is transported with all its 70's values and fashion into the 90's. THOMAS also directed "Only You" and "My Breast" She is also known for playing Sergeant Lucy Bates on the TV series "Hill Street Blues."

2: Our interview with LINDA WERTHEIMER continues.ART REV.. Rock historian ED WARD continues this week's five part series on the influence of several key record companies on the music world. Today, Ward looks at Casablanca, a big producer of disco hits, and its founder Nick Bogart.

JENNIFER SCHMIDT FROM MEMBER STATION KPLU IN SEATTLE REPORTS ON A HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER THAT IS TESTING A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF JOURNALISTIC FREEDOM BY DEFYING THE POLICE AND A COURT ORDER BY REFUSING TO TURN OVER PHOTOGRAPHS OF A CAMPUS BRAWL.

HOST SUSAN STAMBERG SPEAKS WITH JOHN WHITESIDE, CITY EDITOR FOR THE JOLIET HERALD NEWS, ABOUT MOLLY ZELKO. SHE WAS A JOURNALIST WHO REPORTED ON THE MOB AND DISAPPEARED ONE NIGHT IN 1957. THE CASE HAS RECENTLY BEEN REOPENED AFTER A MOB INFORMANT TOLD POLICE ZELkO WAS BURIED IN A CITY SIDEWALK IN JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

ENTERTAINMENT: ELVIS MITCHELL, WEEKEND EDITION'S ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC TALKS WITH SCOTT SIMON ABOUT THE NEW SCOTTISH FILM "SHALLOW GRAVE."