Search results for

NPR's Eric Weiner reports President Clinton joined leaders of the other G-8 developed nations in their annual summit. While economics is the reason for the summit, political issues normally take up much of the meeting. this year was no different and Clinton met with Russian President Vladimir Putin today to discuss the proposed US missile defense system that Russia and almost all other nations at the meeting oppose.

Commentators Katharine Mieszkowski and Kaitlin Quistgaard talk about Virgin Atlantic's announcement that passengers will soon be able to receive phone calls and e-mail in flight, destroying one of the last oases of unconnected time. Fliers won't be able to escape deal-making seatmates and second-hand cell phone noise.

NPR's Debbie Elliott tells Linda Wertheimer a Florida jury has ordered tobacco companies to pay more than 144-Billion dollars in punitive damages to sick smokers.

The Senate today passed a bill that would phase out the nation's inheritance tax over the next 10 years. The vote was 59 to 39 --- with 9 Democrats joining all but 4 of the Republicans in the majority. But the vote was not sufficient to override President Clinton's promised veto. before final passage, the Senate stripped all of its own amendments from the bill, so as to match the bill passed by the House and send the measure directly to the President's desk. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

Commentator David Fleischaker blames high gas prices around the country on consumers who drive gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles. He suggests leaders could help by educating consumers, encouraging exploration for oil and gas, and mandating minimum mileage. Fleischaker is an independent oil and gas producer who lives in Oklahoma City.

Kate Seelye reports from a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, where there is little optimism about the ongoing summit at Camp David. The refugees want to return to the homes they fled during past Arab-Israeli wars, but few believe the summit will make that possible.

Film critic Bob Mondello reviews The Five Senses, a drama from director/screenwriter Jeremy Podeswa. The movie follows five story lines -- one for each of the five senses -- which all interconnect.

NPR's Chris Arnold reports the Internet music company Napster has been hauled into court by the music industry for its popular system that allows people to download copyrighted music for free. But even if the recording industry prevails, its battle against web piracy may have just begun. There's a new breed of free music services that go beyond Napster's technology.

Noah talks to George Pully, a deacon at the Beulah Christian Church in Zebulon, North Carolina, about a bell that was stolen from his church. It was one of four antique bells stolen from churches and homes in the Raleigh, North Carolina area last weekend. The missing bells are all quite large, weighing between 50 and 1500 pounds.

Noah talks to NPR's Wade Goodwyn about the jury verdict in the Branch Davidian lawsuit against the government. Goodwyn reports an advisory jury today quickly decided the government bears no responsibility in the deaths of Branch Davidians at the standoff at their compound in Waco, Texas in 1993. A long seige of the building by federal authorities ended in a fire that killed eighty people. Government attorneys argued the Davidians intentionally set the fire themselves. A judge will make the final ruling in the case.

Chiles en nogada is a special dish in Mexico eaten around the month of September to celebrate Independence Day. This summer marked 200 years since its creation.

The federal government's probe of the Olympic bribery scandal may be coming to an end. NPR's Howard Berkes has a report from Salt Lake City.

Commentator Jeremy Rifkin says in the world where we measure nano-seconds and have every time-saving device imaginable, we still find ourselves without free time. Our culture is obsessed with efficiency. Rifkin is looking for a paradigm that replaces efficiency with sufficiency.

Reporter Marge Pitroff of member station WUWM in Milwaukee reports on the role of modern summer camps in the lives of today's kids, and the potential benefits and drawbacks of structured recreation.

The Taliban took over Kabul a month ago. How is the U.S. dealing with the group's interim government in Afghanistan and what challenges lie ahead?

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports on a dispute at the highest levels of the Russian military. A long-standing personal rivalry between the defense minister and the chief of general staff broke into the open this week. The chief of staff suggested scaling back Russia's strategic missile force. The defense minister called the idea "madness." President Vladimir Putin has so far refused to take sides.

NPR's Linda Gradstein reports thousands of Israeli settlers in the West Bank could face a tough decision if the ongoing summit talks at Camp David produce a final peace accord. Some of the settlers could well have to choose between finding new homes inside Israel or staying where they are, as Jews in an independent Palestinian state.

NPR's Ted Clark reports on the fourth day of the summit at Camp David, where the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks remain shrouded in secrecy. US spokesmen refuse to provide any substantive details of the meetings, nor will they say whether there has been any progress.

NPR's Richard Harris reports from Bangkok that Thailand is leading the world in testing AIDS vaccines. That's because the nation has a strong scientific tradition, a good medical infrastructure, a willing populace and the political backing to conduct studies involving thousands of volunteers. Many of these ingredients are missing elsewhere in the world, where AIDS vaccines are more desperately needed.

The infrastructure bill will set aside billions of dollars to update the electric grid. Experts weigh in on whether or not it will be enough as extreme weather events disrupt access to electricity.