Search results for

A man with a gunshot wound died after a stand-off between a Tampa man and Hillsborough County deputies.

NPR's Julie Rovner reports on Congressional efforts to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. An amendment to the annual spending bill for the Department of Agriculture would allow pharmacists and wholesalers to import U.S.-approved drugs from Canada and Mexico, where costs for those drugs are lower. But the drug industry says this could allow unsafe or contaminated drugs into the market.

A paper in today's Science magazine reports the discovery of a new material that may be able to with stand irradiation for a thousand years. At present, nuclear waste is stashed away in containers that will start to break down after only a 100 years. Scientists are in a race against time to discover ways of building nuclear trashcans that can survive for much longer. And this new material could - at least in theory - be part of the answer. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

Noah reads letters from All Things Considered listeners. Subjects this week include Robert Trout's reports on Democratic conventions of the 1940's, political theater, and musical theater -- West Side Story. (3:15) Please Note: To contact All Things Considered, write to All Things Considered Letters, 635 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20001. The e-mail address is atc@npr.org.

NPR's Madeleine Brand examines the controversy over the Republican ad that criticizes Vice President Gore's prescription drug plan and which critics charge contains a "subliminal" message. The split-second appearance on the screen of the word "RATS," in large capital letters, then becomes part of the word "bureaucrats." The ad lambastes bureaucracy. Brand looks at the effectiveness of so-called "subliminal" advertising -- in selling candidates as well as other products.

Commentator Alice Furlaud takes a moment to stop and consider the possibility that meat-eating may go completely out of style, given the Mad Cow disease crisis and continued concerns about E.coli bacterial contamination. She wonders what the cost of going totally meatless would be for certain cultures...such as the Swiss. (4:00) (S

Researchers have found the region that is likely to contain a gene that's responsible for prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men. While they haven't isolated the gene itself, knowing its location will enable researchers to develop a genetic test for the disease, and should lead in short order to identifying the gene itself. NPR's Joanne Silberner reports.

Researchers in Britain are claiming new evidence for the possibility of life on Mars. By looking at a meteorite from Mars that landed in Antarctica--different from the one NASA scientists concluded contained signs of life this past summer--the British scientists say they see a chemical signature that could have been produced by living organisms. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

U.N. weapons inspectors find 11 empty chemical warheads in an ammunition storage area in southern Iraq. They are said to be in excellent condition, but it's unclear if they've ever actually contained chemical agents. NPR's Kate Seelye reports.

NPR's Nina Totenberg reports on the arguments before the Supreme Court today on whether Clean Water regulations apply to a body of water contained within a state, but used as habitat by migrating birds. The justices are being asked to rule on whether the fate of the body of water is of concern only to that state, or, because of the impact on the birds, to the larger environment.

NPR's John Ydstie reports that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told lawmakers today that inflation is still well-contained and that recent increases in wholesale and consumer prices are mere blips on the screen. Greenspan was asked whether the Fed had waited too long before moving to cut interest rates in late January. Greenspan defended the central bank's actions and said the answer to the question is "No."

NPR's Emily Harris reports on a four-day meeting in Ottawa to discuss whether genetically engineered food should be labeled as such. Many common foods contain genetically engineered ingredients. Food manufacturers are worried if product labels disclosed that, consumer fear would put an end to the promising field of biotechnology.

Anthony Kuhn reports China expressed "serious concern" about the just-announced U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, even though the package did not contain the Aegis destroyers. Beijing had said sale of the Aegis system would have caused a crisis. But China's relatively measured criticism may give way to harsher reactions when details of the arms package are fully known.

The SARS death toll in Toronto reaches 21, but Canadian officials say the outbreak of the deadly respiratory disease is under control. They cite a decline in the number of people in quarantine, a decrease in new cases. But hospitals fear the spread of SARS among employees. Hear NPR's Richard Knox.

Sectarian violence subsides somewhat in Iraq on the third day of a curfew, but the threat of civil war persists. Twenty-nine people -- including three U.S. soldiers -- die in attacks across the country Sunday. Iraqi leaders are hoping that containment on the ground and political reconciliation will appease Sunnis and Shia.

According to former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, it helps to have a sense of humor in politics. He recently gave a lecture on the lighter side of public life at the Library of Congress.

NPR's Daniel Zwerdling reports on how public health and law enforcement officials might respond in case of a large chemical or bioterrorism attack. Laws vary greatly as to how much power officials have to quarantine people who have contagious illnesses. There's also disarray when it comes to taking over buildings or confining large numbers of people at public events.

Republicans say it's now more important than ever to secure the nation's oil supply by opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil development. Opponents counter there's still no evidence that the wildlife refuge contains more than a few months' supply of oil. (4:01)

NASA says it has found signs that water may have once flowed on Mars. Scientists studying samples of rock analyzed by the Mars rover Opportunity say they see chemical signs of contact with water. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Thousands of Chinese exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome are told to stay home, and police seal a second Beijing hospital, isolating SARS patients and staff isolated from outside contact. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and reporter Anthony Kuhn.

Research shows the chemicals are linked to multiple types of cancers, in addition to weakening immune systems.

Thomas broke the law when he failed to report lavish trips on a private jet and on a superyacht all provided by a Texas billionaire and GOP megadonor.

The spinach industry in California was booming, until an outbreak of E. coli bacteria contamination put a halt to the sale of raw spinach. But the industry does not expect the scare to permanently damage the foods popularity.

Following the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, British authorities are following a trail of radioactive contamination. Litvinenko died from the effects of absorbing a rare radioactive element, Polonium 210.

Toy maker Mattel has announced another round of toy recalls. It's the second time this month that the company has withdrawn toys made in China. Tuesday's announcment covers some toys that contain lead paint, and some have small magnets that can be swallowed.