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Wednesday March 19, 2003

SARS Update

March 19, 2003 • An organism similar to viruses that cause measles and mumps may be behind a global outbreak of a new form pneumonia, known as SARS. World health officials also report it looks like the disease is on its way to containment. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.

SARS Update

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Tuesday March 11, 2003

Using DDT to Battle Malaria

March 11, 2003 • The United States banned DDT in 1972 and environmental groups are trying to outlaw the pesticide worldwide. But in developing countries, it continues to be a cost-effective way to combat malaria, a disease that kills more than 1 million people a year in Africa. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports on South Africa's success in controlling the disease.

Monday March 10, 2003

NASA Engineers Discuss E-Mails

March 10, 2003 • NASA engineers speak out about a much-discussed e-mail exchange that seemed to anticipate the space shuttle Columbia catastrophe. They tell reporters their comments were seen by the right people and were accorded the weight they deserved. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

NASA Engineers Discuss E-Mails

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Sunday March 9, 2003

New Research Backs 1953 Photo of Asteroid Crash on Moon

March 9, 2003 • In 1953, Oklahoma physician and amateur astronomer Leon Stuart photographed what he believed was an asteroid crashing into the moon. No one believed him. Forty years later, new research from NASA suggests Stuart was right. NPR's Vikki Valentine reports.

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Space

Solving a 50-Year-Old Moon Mystery

March 9, 2003 • In 1953, an Oklahoma physician and amateur astronomer photographed what he believed was an asteroid crashing on the moon. No one believed him. Decades later, research from NASA suggested he was right.

Solving a 50-Year-Old Moon Mystery

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Wednesday March 5, 2003

Bush's Medicare-Reform Plan

March 5, 2003 • President Bush releases his plan to overhaul the Medicare system. The proposal includes prescription drug coverage for seniors who change to a privatized health plan, but some lawmakers say seniors who want to keep traditional Medicare should get more drug coverage than what the plan offers. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

Bush's Medicare-Reform Plan

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Tuesday March 4, 2003

Bush Details Medicare Drug-Benefit Proposal

March 4, 2003 • In a speech before the American Medical Association, President Bush outlines his proposal for a prescription-drug benefit in Medicare. The president's plan would cover all seniors, but would generously reward those in managed care. NPR's Snigdha Prakash reports.

Bush Details Medicare Drug-Benefit Proposal

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Friday February 28, 2003

NASA Shows 'Final Moments' Videotape from Columbia

February 28, 2003 • NASA releases a videotape recorded on the space shuttle Columbia shortly before it broke up over Texas. The portion of the tape retrieved by NASA ends with the orbiter at 250,000 feet, approaching the coast of California. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and NPR's Melissa Block.

NASA Shows 'Final Moments' Videotape from Columbia

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Radio Expeditions

Revisiting the Birth of the Bomb, Part 2

February 28, 2003 • Alex Chadwick has the second of a two-part NPR/National Geographic Radio Expedition to the remote New Mexico test site where the most terrifying weapon ever -- the atomic bomb -- was born.

Revisiting the Birth of the Bomb, Part 2

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Thursday February 27, 2003

Radio Expeditions

Revisiting the Birth of the Bomb

February 27, 2003 • The United Nations continues to debate war with Iraq over its weapons of mass destruction. These weapons seem all the more frightening because of worries they could fall into the hands of terrorists. For National Geographic's Radio Expeditions, NPR's Alex Chadwick visited Trinity, the remote New Mexico test site where the most terrifying weapon ever -- the atomic bomb -- was born.

Revisiting the Birth of the Bomb

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House Passes Ban on Human Clon

February 27, 2003 • Following a lengthy debate on science and life, the House passes a ban on all human cloning. The measure covers clones created for medical research, and envisions stiff fines and prison sentences for violators. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

House Passes Ban on Human Clon

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Space Station Options Limited

February 27, 2003 • NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe briefs a congressional committee on options for the International Space Station while the space shuttle fleet is grounded. NASA's options, he says, are limited. Meanwhile, the probe into Columbia's demise continues. Hear reports from NPR's Joe Palca and NPR's Richard Harris.

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Wednesday February 26, 2003

NASA: Shuttle E-mail

February 26, 2003 • NASA releases e-mails demonstrating that a day before space shuttle Columbia's demise, engineers privately worried about the impact of tile damage sustained at launch. The e-mails explored prophetic "what-if" scenarios that concluded the orbiter could lose its left wing and break up high in the atmosphere. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

NASA: Shuttle E-mail

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Saturday February 22, 2003

Weather Patterns May Forecast War Plans in Iraq

February 22, 2003 • Weather conditions in Iraq are likely to shape the timing and strategy of a potential U.S. military invasion. It's still relatively cool in the desert in March, but temperatures begin to soar past 100 soon after. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Monday February 17, 2003

Humanitarian Groups Prepare for Possible U.S. War on Iraq

February 17, 2003 • Many non-governmental aid groups prepare for the possibility of war in Iraq, predicting that hundreds of thousands of civilians will die and millions more will suffer disease and hunger. But preparations are complicated by ongoing U.N. sanctions and restricted travel. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.