Living Large in a Mobile Home June 30, 2005 • Michele Norris talks with Gaylord Maxwell, founder of the Life on Wheels conference, the premier event for motor home and recreational vehicle owners and lovers worldwide. Maxwell talks about how to live in a motor home.
Trumpeting Tourism in Nigeria's Calabar June 30, 2005 • Many who pick a holiday destination in Africa opt for Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia or perhaps Morocco. But the city of Calabar in Nigeria -- Africa's most populous nation, a global oil producer and a continental powerhouse -- probably doesn't figure high on many destination lists. It's remote, even for Nigerians. But the governor has grand plans to change all that.
House Panel Approves CAFTA Measure June 30, 2005 • The House Ways and Means Committee approves legislation to implement the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The full Senate is likely to support the measure. But CAFTA may lack sufficient backing in the full House to reach the Senate. The House will debate the issue after the Fourth of July break.
U.S. Moves to Shore Up V.A. Funding June 30, 2005 • GOP leaders in the Senate and House are moving quickly to address a multi-billion dollar shortfall in funding for the Veterans Affairs Administration. The White House is expected to send a supplemental spending request to Capitol Hill Thursday. Secretary James Nicholson disclosed the shortfall at a hearing on Tuesday.
Despite Highlight, Army Struggles in Recruiting June 30, 2005 • The U.S. Army exceeded its recruitment goals for June, reversing a recent trend. The Army Reserve also made its monthly quota for the first time since December. But Army leaders say they face a nearly insurmountable shortfall to meet the service's annual goal.
The Impact of War Recalling a Soldier: Stan Lapinski June 30, 2005 • Stan Lapinski, 35, was assigned to the Army 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., and was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment. He died in Baghdad on June 11. Rebecca Zisch of member station KNPR has this personal remembrance.
Politics Bush Adopts Findings of Silberman-Robb Panel June 30, 2005 • President Bush accepts nearly all of the dozens of recommendations made by the commission on weapons of mass destruction. The panel, headed by Republican Judge Laurence Silberman and former Democratic Sen. Charles Robb, spent a year reviewing the nation's 15 intelligence agencies. In March, its report found the government was "dead wrong" in most pre-war judgments on Iraq's weaponry. Mary Louise Kelly reports.
Middle East Ex-Hostage Says New Iran Leader Was Captor June 30, 2005 • Retired Army Col. Charles Scott, who was among those held during the Iran hostage crisis, says he believes Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was among those who led interrogations of the captives. Iranian authorities deny it.
Morning Edition Justice Dept. to Combine Intelligence Units June 30, 2005 • The Justice Department, following the recommendations of the Smith-Robb panel's report, will consolidate its counterterrorism, espionage and intelligence units. The president will ask Congress to create the new office of assistant attorney general for national security to oversee the unit. Ari Shapiro reports.
'Siegfried and Roy' Tiger Probe Yields No Surprises June 30, 2005 • Government investigators spent nearly a year trying to determine why a 380-pound white tiger mauled entertainer Roy Horn, ending Siegfried and Roy's long-running Las Vegas act. Officials concluded that the tiger acted alone -- and very much as one might expect a wild animal to act. Jim Rogers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture fills Steve Inskeep in on the details.
Education Selling Students, Parents on Charter Schools June 30, 2005 • With cold calls, door-to-door visits, and gift certificates, charter school principals are making aggressive sales pitches to attract students away from regular public schools. And in places like Denver, it's working.
World Muslims Celebrate New Mosque in Tatarstan June 30, 2005 • Muslims in Russia celebrate a momentous occasion: the opening of a mosque in Kazan, capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. It's been more than 500 years since Ivan the Terrible destroyed the last mosque that stood in Kazan.
Business Merger to Create Credit-Card Giant June 30, 2005 • Bank of America has announced plans to merge with MBNA Corporation. The deal is estimated at more than $30 billion, and would create one of the nation's largest issuers of credit cards. But 6,000 jobs are on the chopping block.
Florida City Heads Growth-Boom List June 30, 2005 • The Census Bureau's list of the fastest-growing cities in America is headed by Port St. Lucie, a Florida Atlantic coast town that splits the distance between Miami and Orlando. Port St. Lucie Mayor Bob Minsky tells Steve Inskeep what the Census listing means to his town.
Beirut Bar Takes Theme from Civil War June 30, 2005 • A popular Beirut bar draws its theme from the Lebanese Civil War, which began in 1975 and tore apart what many called the "Paris on the Mediterranean." Bullet holes and signs warning of land mines decorate the walls, and drinkers sit on sandbag chairs. Some patrons hail the bar as evidence of progress in Lebanon, but admit it brings up difficult memories for some city residents.