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Two anesthesiologists threw the death penalty in California into turmoil this week when they walked out of the execution of a convicted murderer. The doctors objected when the state asked them to do more than observe the execution. Now death penalty experts wonder whether other states will have the same problem.

That holiday tree in your living room seems fresh, but it was probably plucked from the farm earlier this month. Tom Banse has an insider's look at the industrial operation to bring trees to market.

Reversing earlier statements, London authorities now say a man plainclothes officers trailed to a city subway station and then shot to death Friday had no apparent connection to the bombings of July 21. Police have yet to name the man.

Before this week is over, jurors in Michael Jackson's trial could be deliberating his guilt or innocence. But those 12 people are hardly the only ones in the country who will be talking about Michael Jackson. Just about everybody else is, too. Commentator Jake Halpern is working on a book about fame, and he says that all that attention might be part of Michael Jackson's problems.

Six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is retiring from cycling after this year's race. Reporter Eric Niiler looks at the implications for the future of cycling.

A group of Hollywood film studios has devised a film-release system that keeps two movies of similar genres from being released in the same week. Madeleine Brand talks with Slate contributor Edward J. Epstein about this unusual arrangement between studios, who are more likely than not to engage in cutthroat competition with each other.

In a rare holiday week session, the Senate continues debate on a budget reconciliation bill and defense appropriations legislation. The House of Representatives adjourned early Monday after passing a series of spending cuts and a provision for drilling in the Arctic refuge.

Mayor Ray Nagin and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu will meet in a May runoff election to decide who will serve the next term as mayor of New Orleans. John Mercurio of the National Journal discusses post-Katrina politics in the Big Easy with Debbie Elliott.

An autopsy is performed on the remains of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, who was found dead in his prison cell Saturday morning. He was being tried for war crimes by the international tribunal at The Hague.

Michele Norris and Robert Siegel read from listeners' letters and emails. Among the stories: a staircase at the World Trade Center site; a series on legal immigration; Medicare's drug program; and an effort to ban Hot Cheetos.

The political clout of the militant Islamist group Hamas is rising. The group's candidates are expected to do well in next week's Palestinian parliamentary elections, with current polls showing Hamas winning at least one-third of the seats. That scenario presents a challenge for Israel.

Renee Montagne speaks with reporter Alex Kleimenov in Kiev, Ukraine, about ceremonies taking place to mark 20 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

The oldest known copy of Archimedes’ work lies hidden under the pages of a 13th century prayer book. For years, scientists and scholars tried to decipher what ancient script they could. Now, new technology is allowing them to look past the prayer book to the wealth of knowledge underneath.

Polls open Sunday in Congo for that nation's first democratic elections in more than 40 years. Many hope the vote will help turn the page after decades of dictatorship and civil war.

Venezuela, led by fiery, leftist president Hugo Chavez, is at the forefront of a political swing to the left that is sweeping much of Latin America. With its vast oil revenues, Venezuela carries a lot of clout in the region, and it has made alliances with nations that are most at odds with the United States.

President Biden has met the leaders of Australia, India and Japan. The White House said they would pledge to work together on global health, the climate, infrastructure, technology and other areas.

Professor Jon Levy went viral for wearing a mask during a Zoom call alone in his office. He has some thoughts about why.

North Korea says it's experiencing its first COVID outbreak. Experts are skeptical, but they are also wondering if this means the country will accept outside help or if it can handle it alone.

Bernard Ebbers, the former CEO of Worldcom, is sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in what authorities call the largest accounting fraud in U.S. history. Ebbers, 63, was found guilty on charges of securities and reporting fraud. He is expected to appeal.

Cousin to The Great British Baking Show, this pottery competition almost dares you to make fun of its aggressively earnest approach.

From the start of the war in Ukraine, food policy experts have worried that a hunger crisis could be in the making, given how important Ukraine and Russia are to global food supply.

Russia has long planned on expanding its oil drilling in the Arctic. But that relies on help from Western companies that are now pulling back because of the war in Ukraine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data this week showing drug overdoses killed more than 107,000 people last year.

Robert Siegel talks with Charles Snee, senior editor at Linn's Stamp News, about the recently rediscovered "Ice House" envelope, believed to be lost for 38 years and recently rediscovered in Chicago. It has the only known cover of an 1869 Abraham Lincoln 90-cent stamp.

Stung by criticism that they reacted too slowly to Katrina, federal officials say they're working hard to avoid making the same mistakes twice. Already, President Bush has declared Hurricane Rita an "incident of national significance" -- which helps rally federal resources.