Deaths Generate New Emphasis on Nightclub Safety February 28, 2003 • As grand juries contemplate charges in deadly nightclub disasters in Rhode Island and Chicago, various states and localities take a hard look at how to prevent similar events. And many are cracking down on existing code violations. NPR's Tovia Smith reports.
Water Bill Battle Pits Detroit's Poor Against City February 28, 2003 • Detroit city officials, facing a budget deficit, are using aggressive tactics to collect millions in overdue water bills. Advocates for the poor and elderly say as many as 10 percent of Detroit's households simply can't pay, and should not be shut off. Quinn Klinefelter of member station WDET reports.
Terrorism Suspect to Fight Loss of College Job February 28, 2003 • Sami al-Arian, accused of heading the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's U.S. activities, says he will sue the University of South Florida for dismissing him. Al-Arian, a computer engineering professor, had been on forced leave for more than a year before his recent federal indictment. NPR's Greg Allen reports.
Culture America's Last Mass Lynching February 28, 2003 • On a summer afternoon in 1946, in rural Georgia, a white mob killed four young black people in a hail of gunfire. The brutal killings -- the last mass lynching in America -- led to a national outcry. The FBI investigated, but no one was ever convicted of the murders. On Morning Edition, NPR's Renee Montagne interviews Laura Wexler, author of a book that examines the incident.
Lawmakers Press NASA Chief for Answers February 28, 2003 • NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe faces tough questions on Capitol Hill during a hearing on the space agency's 2004 budget. Members of the House Science Committee also press O'Keefe for safety assurances following the loss earlier this month of the space shuttle Columbia. NPR's Eric Niiler reports.
Radio Expeditions Revisiting the Birth of the Bomb, Part 2 February 28, 2003 • Alex Chadwick has the second of a two-part NPR/National Geographic Radio Expedition to the remote New Mexico test site where the most terrifying weapon ever -- the atomic bomb -- was born.
'Human Shields' Position Themselves in Iraq February 28, 2003 • It's estimated that hundreds of volunteer "human shields" are in Baghdad from the United States and elsewhere. They're placing themselves at installations in an effort to prevent U.S. bombing. NPR's Melissa Block talks to volunteer human shield Ken Nichols O'Keefe, and to Paul Eliopolous, an American who became an involuntary shield when arrested by Iraqis in Kuwait in 1990.
Supreme Court Backs Out of Gun-Records Case February 27, 2003 • The U.S. Supreme Court decides not to hear arguments in a legal challenge to the government's policy of keeping weapons records confidential -- including the names of buyers and sellers of guns used in crimes. NPR's Libby Lewis reports.
Lawmakers Probe Alleged Corruption at Los Alamos Lab February 27, 2003 • Congress investigates charges of widespread theft by government employees at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Workers are accused of routinely stealing government property, including computers, television sets and money, with the knowledge of senior lab managers. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.
Culture Fred 'Mister' Rogers Dies of Cancer February 27, 2003 • Fred Rogers, the host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, dies of cancer at the age of 74. Rogers hosted the popular children's program on public television for more than 30 years. NPR's Bob Edwards has a remembrance.
Radio Expeditions Revisiting the Birth of the Bomb February 27, 2003 • The United Nations continues to debate war with Iraq over its weapons of mass destruction. These weapons seem all the more frightening because of worries they could fall into the hands of terrorists. For National Geographic's Radio Expeditions, NPR's Alex Chadwick visited Trinity, the remote New Mexico test site where the most terrifying weapon ever -- the atomic bomb -- was born.
World Bush: Iraq War Could Aid Mideast Peace Process February 27, 2003 • Addressing members of a Washington think tank, President Bush outlines his vision for Iraq after Saddam Hussein's removal, and predicts that liberating Iraq could help create peace between Israelis and Palestinians. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.
Government Returns to 'Code Yellow' February 27, 2003 • The Bush administration on Thursday lowered the national terror alert level from orange to yellow, suggesting the threat of an imminent terrorist attack on U.S. soil has eased somewhat. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and NPR's Melissa Block.
Small Minnesota Town Leaps into Iraq Debate February 27, 2003 • The city council of Ely, Minn., passes a resolution opposing war with Iraq. Tom Coombe, managing editor of the Ely Echo, says the debate and vote may be the most controversial the council has ever cast. Coombe speaks with NPR's Melissa Block.
Highway Safety Chief Says Work Remains on SUVs February 26, 2003 • The government's top auto-safety regulator softens his criticism of sport-utility vehicles during a high-profile Capitol Hill appearance. Dr. Jeffrey Runge, chairman of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, says more must be done to improve SUV safety, but he hopes the industry will take the lead. NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports.