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Host Jackie Judd talks with Karrin Allyson, a singer who's new album dedicated to the work of John Coltrane combines both her jazz and classical training. Allyson's vocal CD, based on Coltrane's instrumental Ballads record, is titled "Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane." (6:21) {Karrin Allyson, "Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane." Concord Records, 2001} {John Coltrane Quartet, Ballads MCA Records 1987}

NPR's David Welna reports from Orange, Texas, where a dozen residents took part in a role-playing exercise as a congressional committee trying to divvy up the federal budget. The group concluded that the $1.6 trillion tax cut proposed by President George Bush wasn't a prudent idea until the national debt is paid off.

NPR's Steve Inskeep profiles Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords, a moderate Republican who cast a crucial vote against President Bush's $1.6 trillion tax cut proposal. Sen. Jeffords' tie-breaking ability on close votes in the evenly divided Senate gives him considerable influence. He used it to help reduce the size of the tax cut by about a fourth and divert more than $200 billion of it to pay for special education. Jeffords was just re-elected and has received less criticism in his home-state than from conservative Republicans in Washington, D.C.

Scott talks with the Doyenne of Dirt, Ketzel Levine, about noxious weeds. Ketzel says that one region's common garden plant can be another regions invasive pest. (6:00) NOTE: There is plenty more dirt to be found in our Talking Plants section.

Host Bob Edwards talks to Mitchell Daniels who, as director of the Office of Management and Budget, is responsible for getting the budget through Congress. On Monday, the president released details of his $1.96 trillion budget, which he had outlined in a blueprint on February 28th. Last week, the Senate approved the blueprint after scaling back the President's proposed 10-year tax cut from 1.6 trillion to 1.2 trillion. The House approved the entire 1.3 trillion tax cut proposal on March 21st.

Frank talks with NPR's Congressional Correspondent Steve Inskeep about action on the federal budget. This past week, the Senate agreed on a version of a budget plan which scales back the scope of President Bush's 1.6 trillion dollar tax cut.

Host Bob Edwards talks to Edward Goldberg, Director of the Medici Archive Project, about his work with the Medici family archive in Florence, Italy. The archive is a collection of virtually every letter sent or received by the Medici court during its rule from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s. The correspondence reveals a great deal about Italian art and early modern European history. Goldberg and his colleagues are documenting and digitizing each letter, and hope to have the project complete by 2012. (6:28) For more on the project, check out our Medici Archive Web page.

NPR's Renee Montagne highlights moments from last night's Academy Awards ceremony. Gladiator won best picture, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won best foreign language film. (6:35) Check out the complete list of Oscar winners.

NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that the Supreme Court has ruled that it's unconstitutional for public hospitals to test pregnant women for illegal drugs and, without their permission, give the results to police for possible prosecution. The arrangement between doctors at a public hospital in South Carolina and local police was designed to identify pregnant women using crack, and protect their fetuses. The 6-to-3 decision concludes that such an arrangement between doctors and police violates the Constitution.

NPR's Margot Adler reports on what some are decrying as the "suburbanization" of New York City. She talks to one design critic who laments that national franchises are replacing the city's local greasy spoons, coffeehouses and boutiques, and taking over street-life. (6:40