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Michele Norris talks with Wall Street Journal sportswriter Stefan Fatsis about the basketball showdown between two seven-footers, Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets. The on-court confrontation has been heightened by off-court jousting -- in particular, Shaquille O'Neal's mimicking of Yao Ming's accent. Some have taken offense.

Absentee ballots in Louisiana aren't counted if they're cast by someone who then dies before election day. State Sen. Reggie Dupre, Jr. wants to reverse that law. The Republican from Houma says if someone takes the time to vote, it should count, even if the voter doesn't live to see election day. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Dupre about the bill he's co-sponsored.

A Senate committee unanimously recommends Tom Ridge be confirmed as head of the new Department of Homeland Security. A final Senate vote is anticipated next week. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

Harvard scientists discover problems using stem cells to treat diseases such as diabetes. Two years ago, scientists said they successfully nudged stem cells into producing insulin. Now, the newest research suggests those cells weren't really making insulin. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Pakistan demands exemption from a U.S. registration program for non-citizens, and Indonesia tells its citizens not to travel here. The program requires visiting males from 25 Middle Eastern and Asian countries to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed as an anti-terror measure. The Justice Department says the effort is starting to pay off. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Gen. James Helmly, the chief commander of the U.S. Army Reserve about the increased reliance the military places on reserve components. Currently 47 percent of the military is made up of these reserve members. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, there has been an increased perception that the reservists are being overused. Indeed these citizen soldiers are being deployed for more missions and for longer periods. They can be called to duty for up to two years, which makes it harder and harder for these folks to re-integrate into society. Gen. Helmly addresses some of these concerns.

Western states are at the top of the list for hunger. The loss of traditional jobs, high cost of living and remoteness of many rural communities all are part of the reason. NPR's Robert Smith reports.

Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix briefs European leaders on the latest findings in Iraq. Blix refuses to term yesterday's discovery in Iraq of nearly a dozen empty warheads a "smoking gun" that would show Iraq to be in noncompliance with U.N. resolutions. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld a 1998 law that extends copyright for 20 years. Internet publisher Eric Eldred maintains a website where he posts out-of-print literature that's in the public domain for free. He and his lawyers had argued that the founding fathers intended creative works to eventually revert to the public domain for the benefit of all. The Supreme Court ruled that Congress was within its Constitutional powers to extend the length of copyright. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

Satirist Harry Shearer reflected on the apparently deteriorating standards of television networks (witness tonight's reality show, Man versus Beast) and movie studios (the upcoming Dumb and Dumberer, for example), and decided there's still a way to go in the "race to the bottom."

Raquel Maria Dillon reports Boston area critics of the Roman Catholic Church have turned their sites north, to the Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire. John McCormack was a top aid to Cardinal Bernard Law, who stepped down last month as a result of the priest sex abuse scandal. The protesters say McCormack is also to blame for the abuse, and they want him to step down.

A growing cadre of religious leaders is claiming that Jesus would certainly veto a war against Saddam Hussein. As an anti-war coalition put it in a full-page ad in The New York Times "it is inconceivable that Jesus Christ... would support this proposed attack." Commentator Joe Loconte says that the teachings of Jesus make it clear that evil can possess individuals and entire regimes, and that evil must be resisted, sometimes by force.

A second high-ranking committee member quits over inaction against USOC's chief executive officer. The committee's ethics compliance officer, Patrick Rodgers, leaves saying CEO Lloyd Ward should have been sanctioned for conflict-of-interest violations. NPR's Tom Goldman reports.

The Federal Reserve is adopting new restrictions on investments after active trading last year by two regional Fed bank presidents drew criticism.

The Council on American Islamic Relations is calling for a complete and independent investigation of the killing in Caldwell County, about 40 miles from Austin.

The Bush administration files a friend-of-the-court brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the University of Michigan's affirmative action program. Three white students allege the university uses a quota system that unfairly benefits minority applicants. NPR's Libby Lewis reports.

The State Department tried disseminating a positive message about the United States in Arab countries. The idea was to counter anti-American sentiment by explaining U.S. values rather than U.S. policy. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

South Korea is sending a special envoy to its communist northern neighbor to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program. And South Korea's president-elect Roh Moo-hyun is proposing a summit with the north's reclusive leader, Kim Jong Il. NPR's Eric Weiner reports.

Health care workers in Connecticut are set to be the first U.S. civilians to receive smallpox vaccinations. It's the first step in a new federal program aimed at protecting Americans against a biological attack. NPR's Richard Knox reports.

The Bush administration is developing a new plan to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare. This time, it's likely the new coverage will be connected to sweeping reform of the Medicare system -- including a look at what role managed care might play. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.