World Bush Reaffirms Iraq Strategy November 30, 2005 • President Bush delivers what the White House calls an "important" address on Iraq from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis Wednesday morning. The president laid out a strategy for victory, and focused in particular on progress he has seen in training Iraqi forces. Bush Reaffirms Iraq Strategy Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5032260/5032684" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Bush Reaffirms Iraq Strategy Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5032260/5032684" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Environment Carefully Deconstructing Dams in Washington State. November 30, 2005 • Scientists are trying to figure out how best to remove two large, century-old dams on the Elwha River in Washington state. Removing a dam, especially a big one, is not simple. It can release huge amounts of sediment and actually worsen the river's ecology. These are the largest dams ever slated for removal in the United States.
Religion Catholic Doctrine on Limbo and Baptism Revisited November 30, 2005 • Robert Siegel talks with Lawrence Cunningham, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, about the Catholic notion of "limbo" -- the spiritual place where people who have not been baptized wait to enter heaven. Now the notion itself is in limbo, according to some reports. The church, Cunnigham says, never had a doctrine on limbo, more of a kind of theological hypothesis to answer some troubling questions: If baptism is necessary for salvation, what happens to people -- babies, for example -- who die without the sacrament? And what happens to morally upright people who haven't been baptised?
Opinion Black, Arab Muslims and Liquor Store Vandalism November 30, 2005 • Last week in Oakland, Calif., two liquor stores owned by Arab Muslim immigrants were vandalized. In one incident, men in suits and bow ties confronted the owner and smashed bottles and refrigerators. In the second incident, a store was burned down and an employee kidnapped. According to Oakland police, in both incidents the suspects entered the store and questioned why a Muslim-owned store would sell alcoholic beverages when alcohol is forbidden in Islam. Commentator Murad Kalam, an African-American convert to Islam, says immigrant Arab Muslims and black Muslims have misconceptions about each other -- misconceptions made evident by the incidents in Oakland.
N.J. Imposes Strict Rules on Chemical Plant Security November 30, 2005 • New Jersey officials announce strict new rules to better safeguard the state's many chemical plants from terrorist attack. The move comes after criticism that the state allowed the industry to set its own safety rules -- rules that some believe leave the plants too vulnerable.
Air Travelers Allowed to Keep Small, Sharp Objects November 30, 2005 • The Department of Homeland Security is expected to announce soon that airline passengers will once again be allowed to carry small, sharp objects onto planes -- including items such as screwdrivers and scissors, banned since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Technology RIM Shares Fall on Blackberry Patent Ruling November 30, 2005 • Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind the popular Blackberry wireless e-mail device, saw its stock price fall 5 percent Wednesday after a judge tossed out a settlement in a long-running patent dispute. A small Virginia-based company is suing RIM over the technology behind the Blackberry, and the federal judge in Virginia may soon rule on whether to shut down the Blackberry service altogether.
Law High Court Hears New Hampshire Abortion Case November 30, 2005 • The first major abortion rights case since John Roberts was confirmed as chief justice is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case involves a New Hampshire law that requires minors to tell a parent before terminating a pregnancy. Dahlia Lithwick, legal analyst for Slate, discusses the issues at stake with Alex Chadwick.
Politics Bush Touts 'Steady Progress' in Iraq War November 30, 2005 • President Bush, his poll numbers sinking and his Iraqi war policy under siege, again outlined his policy on winning the "war against terrorism" in a speech at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Bush offered no dramatically new proposals, but touted the creation of Iraqi military troops to eventually take over security.
Economy The Marketplace Report: U.S. Economy Grows November 30, 2005 • The U.S. economy showed robust growth in the last quarter, the Commerce Department reports. John Dimsdale of Marketplace tells Alex Chadwick whether the numbers represent a real step forward for the American economy.
'Beyond Prison' A Friendship to Transform a Life November 30, 2005 • New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein continues the story of former inmate James Gilbert. On Wednesday, we hear about his friendship with fellow inmate Mike Guglielmo -- a friendship that would help him transform his life.
S. Pearl Sharp Returns to 'The Learning Tree' November 30, 2005 • Essayist S. Pearl Sharp goes in search of racial diversity in the Kansas hometown of filmmaker Gordon Parks. She returns to the town 40 years after she was a cast member in Park's classic film The Learning Tree.
Opinion A Model for Success in Black Communities November 30, 2005 • Commentator Eric Copage says that African-Americans should consider modeling what other communities have successfully done to overcome their hardships.
Opinion Analysis The Death Penalty and Politics November 30, 2005 • Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat near the end of his term, spared convicted killer Robin Lovitt from execution Tuesday. What are the political implications of commuting a death sentence?
Health Care A Look at the Effect of HIV/AIDS on Black Youth November 30, 2005 • Young people under the age of 25 reportedly account for half of all new HIV infections each year. Discussing the issue is Phil Wilson, founder and executive director of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles, and Judge Glenda Hatchett of the syndicated daily courtroom series Judge Hatchett.