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Initial clues in the investigation of the break-up of the space shuttle Columbia suggest there may have been a problem with the tiles that protect the spacecraft against the heat of re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, searchers are scouring a wide area of East Texas and Louisiana for shuttle wreckage. NPR's Richard Harris and Wade Goodwyn report.

The White House proposes major changes to encourage individuals to save more money toward retirement. The plan would replace Individual Retirement Accounts with personal-savings accounts featuring higher allowable contributions. Critics say the proposals would increase federal deficits. NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports.

Robert talks with Jim Hall, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, about NASA's decision to use the NTSB model to figure out why the Columbia broke up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

President Bush sends Congress a 2004 budget totaling $2.23 trillion, with the largest increases going to defense and homeland security. The budget assumes a new round of tax cuts, but doesn't account for a possible Iraq war. The proposal also includes the largest deficit in America's history -- more than $300 billion. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Robert talks with William Greider, national affairs correspondent for The Nation magazine, about the economics of President Bush's budget proposal.

NPR's Eric Niiler reports on the process of identifying the remains of the seven astronauts aboard the Columbia space shuttle. NASA will identify the bodies using dental records, blood type, fingerprints and, perhaps, DNA.

Thousands of doctors walked off the job in New Jersey today. Nancy Solomon reports the doctors are protesting the escalating cost of malpractice insurance. The doctors and the insurance industry are calling for a cap on damages paid to patients who sue over shoddy treatment.

The large NASA community around the Johnson Space Center is coming together in its grief over the loss of the shuttle Columbia astronauts. NPR's John Burnett reports.

Host Bob Edwards talks with Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), chairman of the House Science Committee. He will chair the House investigation into the shuttle Columbia disaster.

In state elections, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats suffer their worst defeat in more than 50 years. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

NPR's Alex Chadwick considers the risks and rewards of exploration.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR’s Larry Abramson about the details emerging from the latest NASA briefing on the space shuttle Columbia disaster.

The Space Shuttle Trust Fund, established for the children of the shuttle Challenger crew, will raise money for the children of the shuttle Columbia crew. (The Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, P.O. Box 34600, Washington, D.C. 20043-4600)

NPR's Larry Abramson reports on NASA's decision to appoint an independent commission to study the cause of the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia, on Saturday. Just hours after the disaster, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe announced that Admiral Hal Gehman will head the commission, which is intended to provide a thorough and objective assessment. The precedent is the 1986 Rogers Commission, which investigated the Challenger disaster.

In their weekly political discussion, host Bob Edwards talks to NPR's Cokie Roberts about the shuttle Columbia tragedy and how it might affect other major issues facing the nation, including whether and when the United State might go to war against Iraq and the budget blueprint, which the White House releases today.

As the number of American Indian-run casinos in California grows, some tribes look for ways to bring them closer to major cities. NPR's Andy Bowers reports.

Researchers announce this week that orangutans have culture. The evidence: tree-riding games, leaves used as gloves, and sputtering "raspberry" sounds that may mean "good night." Until now, only two other species on the planet qualified as having socially-transmitted behavior: chimps and humans. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth seems to be trying to update the royal image by adopting a common touch. She's taken a ride on the London Underground, had a pint in a pub... and now she's wearing pants in public. After her recent knee surgery, photographers captured the queen walking out of the hospital in a gray pantsuit. She had never done that before -- apart from wearing traditional riding gear. The Times of London has devoted team coverage to resulting uproar. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Times lifestyle columnist Damian Barr.

NPR's Steve Inskeep has a brief rundown of other stories in the news this weekend.

News that airlines are testing the idea of selling in-flight meals to passengers sparks a fresh debate on the quality of airline food. Hear from NPR's Scott Simon and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

Two dozen new state governors start their jobs this month. Robert Ehrlich will be Maryland's first Republican governor in 36 years. Like many of his fellow newcomers to state office, the former congressman is contemplating budget shortfalls and tough spending choices. NPR's Steve Inkseep reports.

A 32-year-old Chicago man is in custody, accused of running a child prostitution ring in five Midwestern states. Authorities say he lured girls -- many of them runaways -- with offers of free jewelry, then held them hostage and made them perform sex acts. Shirley Jahad of Chicago Public Radio reports.

For many states, after school programs have proven to be a successful way to help poor and minority kids stay out of trouble, and learn. But cuts in state budgets mean cuts in education, and these programs are first in line for reduction. NPR's Nancy Solomon reports from Newark.

Duke University researchers Peter Feaver and Christopher Gelpi have been investigating the gap between civilian and military society. They've found that the general public is more willing to accept casualties as a result of military missions than most military leaders and members of Congress are. Also, the more veterans there are in Congress and the administration, the less likely the United States is to use force. Host Steve Inskeep is joined by Feaver and Gelpi to discuss their research.

Steve checks in on some other stories in the news.