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Advocates have called for the court or Congress to reform the qualified immunity doctrine, the controversial legal defense that protects police from liability when accused of misconduct.

Studies suggest that a drug millions of Americans take to lower cholesterol may help people with multiple sclerosis. But experts urge doctors and patients to wait for evidence that it works in humans. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

Robert Siegel talks with New York Times national correspondent Jeffrey Gettleman, who is covering the Alabama governor's election from Montgomery, Alabama. Democratic incumbent Don Siegelman is claiming victory in that race. So is his Republican challenger, Bob Riley. (4:00)

Veterans, along with the rest of the country, see long waits for mental health and other specialty care. Veterans Affairs has announced it will redesign how it schedules and pays for private care.

John Ydstie talks with Dr. Ryan Parr, an anthropologist at Ontario's Lakehead University, about a four-year effort to determine the identity of a 13-month-old child who died in the Titanic disaster. The child was buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Parr coordinated the work of over 50 scientists, genealogists and Titanic researchers, using DNA to trace the child to living family members.

NPR's Larry Abramson has the latest developments on which jurisdiction gets the first chance at prosecuting sniper suspects John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo. After the two were arrested, prosecutors in several states began filing charges, saying they can get the two convicted and sentenced to death. Attorney General John Ashcroft said one important factor in which jurisdiction prosecutes first is whether capital punishment is available.

John Ydstie talks with Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO), who is stepping down as Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.

Photographer Eric Lee interviewed Asian American teens to learn how they were handling a global health crisis that some blame on their communities.

AAA reports crude and gasoline futures prices have risen to their highest levels of the year, and that spike will produce gas prices above $3.20 a gallon.

In Southern California, the Alisal Fire has been burning for a week along one of the most scenic stretches of the coast north of Santa Barbara. It is now 78% contained.

In many hospitals, the only thing keeping ICUs fully staffed is a rotating cast of traveling nurses. Hospitals are having to pay them so much that their staff nurses are tempted to hit the road too.

Commentator John Feinstein joins Bob Edwards to talk about his new book The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever.

Political correctness defeated in Berkeley, and sisters head to Congress

Federal Reserve policymakers cut interest rates by half a percentage point to levels not seen since the early 1960s. But some economists don't believe the cut will help jumpstart the sluggish economy. NPR's Jack Speer reports.

Bob Edwards talks with two people who have had significant experience in bipartisan negotiations: attorney Frank Donatelli worked on President Reagan's transition team and Mike McCurry, Bill Clinton's former press secretary. They will talk about what happens next, now that Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress.

Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) is expected to announce that he will no longer serve as House Democratic leader. Gephardt's decision comes after midterm elections in which Democrats lost seats in the House of Representatives. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with NPR's Cokie Roberts.

A new analysis of hospital staffing in critical-care units reveals that ICU patients treated by staff who specialize in critical care techniques are less likely to die and generally spend less time in the hospital. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.

Democratic incumbent Tom Johnson claims a narrow victory in the South Dakota Senate race. Because of a computer glitch, the vote wasn't tallied until late this morning. The vote was close enough that Republican challenger John R. Thune may ask for a recount. NPR's Ken Barcus reports.

NPR's Ina Jaffe reports that there was some good news for Democrats in the outcome of Tuesday's governors' races. The Democrats increased their hold on statehouses -- in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Oregon. They also picked up seven other seats held by Republicans or independents. But they were unable to oust Jeb Bush in Florida, elect Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in Maryland or keep Roy Barnes in Georgia. (3:00)

NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports environmental issues were not key components of this years election, but they are sure to be one of the main issues in the next Congress. Environmentalists are worried that Americans will be kept in the dark on environmental policy now that Republicans control both the House and the Senate.

In a tweet, Sen. Keith Perry says he aims to create a prison environment where "people leave better than when they came in."

In San Antonio, there is growing debate over the Professional Golfers' Association's plan to build a resort atop an environmentally sensitive parcel of land. NPR's John Burnett reports.

Don't stand under a tree in a Brazilian thunderstorm. Some illuminating facts from the Brazilian Institute for Space Studies.

Dayton, Ohio, was desperate for COVID aid to help with basic services. Now the city finds itself awash in funds, and it's looking at creative ways to spend some of the largesse.

An earthquake simulation at the Alaska Experience Theater in Anchorage jars a couple of visitors into reality.