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As the global economy knits countries closer together, it becomes easier for diseases to spread through states, over borders and across oceans doing serious damage to vulnerable populations. American RadioWorks and NPR News present a series on this lethal side effect of globalization.

NPR's Peter Kenyon reports on the latest findings by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights regarding the voting problems that occurred in Florida during last year's election. The Commission announced that it would be monitoring the Florida legislature to see what reforms come out of Tallahassee. In the meantime, there will be hearings held in Florida this spring to see if any change has been implemented since last fall's debacle.

In the third part of his series on the oil century, John Burnett reports that high technology has reinvented the oil and gas industries. Companies can now find oil in places once considered impossible, such as deep beneath the ocean. They also can use high-tech instruments to find oil in spent and all but forgotten places, such as the Spindletop oil field. The new wildcatters say oil supplies may be finite, but the reach of knowledge is infinite. (12:30) More information and previous audio segments can be found on our Spindletop feature page, which accompanies this series on the oil and gas industry.

Phillip Davis reports that 14 year old Lionel Tate was sentenced today to life in prison without parole. Lionel was convicted in January of first degree murder in the 1999 death of a playmate, who died as Lionel imitated the violent wrestling shows he liked to watch. Broward County judge Joel Lazarus imposed the mandatory sentence after refusing to reduce the verdict to a lesser charge. He described the murder of 6 year old Tiffany Eunick as "callous and indescribably cruel." Defense attorneys said they would ask Gov. Jeb Bush to commute the sentence.

NPR's Ketzel Levine explores the natural beauty of wildflowers in Arizona. Last fall the area got about 4 inches of rain, which made for an early-blooming, and record-setting wildflower season this year. (6:10-6:35) For more, check out Talking Plants.

Linda Wertheimer talks with Peter Hart, CEO of Hart Research, about a poll he conducted for the Wall Street Journal and NBC News on public opinion about the economy. Hart found that there is only a slight fear of recession.

On Monday evening, 10 year old Rodney McAllister went to a city park across from his home in St. Louis, Mo. The next morning he was found under a pine tree, mauled to death by stray dogs. McAllister's mother, Gladys Loman, was charged with a misdemeanor for endagering the welfare of a child. Animal control officers rounded up nine stray dogs by late Tuesday. Robert Siegel talks with Greg Jonsson, a reporter for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, about the mauling case and what animal control officials are doing to prevent a similar attack.

NPR's Chris Arnold profiles a man considered a "social entrepreneur", who gave up a big-city law career to defend death-row inmates and prisoners denied medical care. That lawyer, Steven Bright, goes about his work at the Southern Center for Human Rights with a zeal usually associated with those in the high-tech sector.

Host Bob Edwards speaks with Teresa LePore, elections supervisor of Palm Beach County, Florida. The state has municipal elections Tuesday, and officials are promising none of the problems of the November election, and none of the butterfly ballots.

NPR's Madeleine Brand talks with Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Schlosser spent the last few years visiting slaughterhouses and various franchises to research his investigation into the industry. He discovered that fast food's impact reaches beyond consumers into the cattle, agricultural, and meat packing industries.

NPR's Phillip Davis reports that Florida, and especially the southern parts of the state, are seeing the worst drought in 100 years.

Ugandans go to the polls today to vote for president. But NPR's Kenneth Walker reports that there are charges of opposition vote-rigging and intimidation by supporters of President Yoweri Museveni.

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports on the controversy over the military machine that's an airplane and helicopter in one--the Osprey V 22. It was developed specifically for the Marine Corps, but after two of the aircrafts crashed last year, many are asking the Pentagon to reconsider the Osprey program.

Commentator Matt Miller says President Bush's proposed tax cut will empty the government's stockpiles exactly when it should be filling them.

Host Bob Edwards talks with NPR's Cokie Roberts about President Bush's efforts to get his tax cut plan approved by the Senate. Mr. Bush is in Florida today, hoping to gain the support of the two Democratic Florida senators.

Player organizations in the NBA, NHL, NFL, WNBA and MLB were sent an open letter by the organization's national and state presidents.

President Bush plans to present an outline of his budget plan to Congress on Tuesday. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports from Ramallah on Secretary of State Colin Powell's trip to the Middle East. Today he was in the West Bank and will travel to Kuwait tomorrow.

NPR's Gerry Hadden reports on the march of Zapatista rebels to the Mexican capital, where they hope to renew the peace process.

NPR's Barbara Bradley reports on Robert Phillip Hanssen, the man arrested Sunday in Virginia on charges of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia. A 27-year veteran of the FBI, Hanssen has allegedly been selling vital U.S. national security secrets for the past 15 years. If convicted, Hanssen faces the death penalty.

Host Bob Edwards speaks with Dr. Marvin Ott, a professor at the National War College, about the arrest of alleged spy Robert Phillip Hanssen and its implications for the FBI and national security.

NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports on a study at Johns Hopkins University School of Health. Researchers found that riding a bike while intoxicated increases the risk of injury or death.

The record labels have begun to respond to the settlement offer Napster made public yesterday, an offer Napster claims it's had on the table for months. NPR's Rick Karr reports.

President Biden has said the U.S. is committed to defending Taiwan, but Washington has traditionally stayed strategically ambiguous. Here's why.

Music Critic Tom Moon says a new release by the old band Blind Faith is an example of the revival of free-form rock and roll. It's called the Deluxe Edition, and it contains some previously unreleased 1969 jam session recordings. (5:30) The Deluxe Edition 2-CD set by Blind Faith is on the Uni/Polydor labels.