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could soon be used to help Alzheimer's patients...a disease that causes irreversible memory loss in about five million people. The new drug was designed in a laboratory, and it's been shown to improve memory in rats and now in humans.

NPR's Margot Adler reports that an industry is springing from the premise that teenagers are dangerous. There are gadgets that beep if your teen drives over the speed limit; machines to prevent your car from starting if the driver has alcohol on his breath; hair analysis kits that will let you perform drug tests on your kids. All of these products of parents' fears are invasive, and a few may be unconstitutional, but they're proliferating.

Robert talks with Robert Uhlig, the Technology Correspondent for The Daily Telegraph in London. They talk about today's revelations that computer hackers had intercepted electronic pager messages between Labor Party leader Tony Blair and his advisors, and discuss questions about privacy, national security, and electronic communications.

Commentator Marion Winik wonders how someone like her - a bonafide nerd who would have done anything to stay away from gym class - is now the mother of a young blond athletic master of the universe. She tells a story about her son's final soccer game this year.

to find out why chopping an onion makes you cry and what you can do to stop the tears.

about the alliance's decision to extend IFOR's mandate in Bosnia.

NPR's Richard Harris reports that scientists have located a gene that could influence anxiety. The discovery is the latest in a series of recent genetics advances that may lead to the identification of the genes that help shape personality.

All Things Considered continues its annual Thanksgiving tradition of inviting Bailey White to share a story with us. This story, which takes place nearly 100 years ago, is about a middle aged schoolteacher and the Jersey bull she won in a raffle.

NPR's David Baron reports that wild turkeys, once endangered, are now making a comeback in the nation's forests. Unregulated hunting and the widespread clearing of land for farming had made the turkeys rare...but now, after careful monitoring and preservation efforts, the birds are staging a remarkable recovery.

Harry the country dog goes to explore New York City with his owner, commentator Donald McCaig. The dog apparently was glad it was only a visit.

request to paint the 'Hollywood' sign with black spots to promote the movie 101 Dalmatians.

Carrie Kahn of member station K-P-B-S reports on the escalating drug-related violence in Tijuana, just twenty miles from San Diego, California. Seven Mexican federal law enforcement officials who worked in Tijuana have been murdered this year. Officials suspect the drug cartel run by the three Arellano Felix (ah-ray-YAH-no FAY-lix) brothers was behind the killings. Experts say the murders--along with a general rise in drug violence in Tijuana--are evidence that a power struggle is underway for control of the area's lucrative narcotics trade.

that convenes for the first time today. It begins work today tackling some of the most controversial issues of the day, including human experimentation and use of new genetic technologies.

Danny speaks with NPR's Elizabeth Arnold about tonight's debate between President Clinton and Republican challenger Bob Dole. Arnold says the debate is Dole's last best chance to reach American voters and reverse his electoral fortunes.

...and we're all invited. Five of America's best known chefs drop by with some very special contributions.

U.S. officials who are hoping to strengthen some international environmental treaties are watching a fishing conference in Spain very closely, where diplomats are trying to crack down on nations that are ignoring the treaty protecting the giant bluefin tuna. The numbers of bluefin tuna have been reduced by ninety percent since the 1970's, mostly due to overfishing by fleets from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The debates over the treaty could have far-reaching implications for other international wildlife protection agreements. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

John Nielsen looks at the emphasis the Clinton campaign is placing on its environmental record, contrasting it with that of Bob Dole and the Republican Congress. While Dole supporters in Congress defend the Republican record as a good one, the candidate himself has said little about it.

When they took over Congress, Republicans pledged to cut out "pork barrel" spending -- federal funds that target particular districts and regions. But as even some GOP critics point out, it was easier to make the pledge than to keep it. NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports.

Commentator Kristine Holmgren tells a story about her Thanksgiving in 1965, at a particularly dark time in her life...and about the kindness of a stranger on a bus.

with a new marketing idea. Frequent buyers get discounts, rebates, free goodies, and other incentives to return. It's the latest effort by mall owners to lure customers in a highly competitive environment.

Robert talks to Ruth Marcus, a staff writer for the Washington Post , about the latest revelations of donations to the Democratic National Committee by visitors to the White House. Many big donors were invited to coffee or dinners, after which they wrote checks to the DNC.

Plaintiffs bringing a wrongful death suit against O.J. Simpson rested their case today after a half-hour of questioning. NPR's Ina Jaffe reports on today's developments, which include the dismissal of a juror and adjournment of the trial until next Tuesday.

Steve Tripoli has a report on the annual two-week intensive lobster harvest in New England, which culminates this week. The harvest and shipping season coincides with the tremendous seasonal demand in Europe for lobsters, which are part of the traditional New Year's meal in that part of the world.

You can lose your wallet, you can forget your PINs and passwords, but you can't lose your fingerprints or the sound of your voice. NPR's Dan Charles reports that new technologies are taking advantage of these built-in identifiers to develop fool-proof methods for making sure you are who you say you are. Some critics worry they also make it too easy to invade one's privacy.