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NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports on two studies in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, that show how emergency rooms could save millions of dollars in X-Rays and CAT scans.

NPR's Mike Shuster concludes a 4-part series on national missile defenses with a report on the political considerations in deciding whether to develop such a system. In 1996, President Clinton dropped his opposition to proceeding with development. He agreed to continue research on missile defenses but didn't commit to a specific deployment date. That has enabled the Republican Congress to keep missile defenses alive. The research and development is very expensive, and forging ahead with it has damaged U.S. relations with Russia and China.

NPR's Jack Speer reports that corporate earnings are coming in strong, but are not strong enough to outweigh the fear of higher interest rates.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports that due to the cost of producing television shows, some networks are considering charging their affiliate stations for the use of their signal. Local stations, who used to be paid by the networks for access to their audiences, are fighting the move. They say if they are forced to pay to access the programming they rely on, many stations may go out of business.

Martha Barnett the incoming president of the American Bar Association urged the nation's lawyers to support a death penalty moratorium, saying there is widespread unfairness and even gross injustice in the way it is applied.

Janet Heimlich reports from Austin, on the way public defenders in capital murder cases are chosen in Texas. County judges appoint private attorneys to represent indigent murder defendants. Critics say the system is flawed because there's no guarantee that a defendant will get a competent lawyer, or that the judge will approve funds to properly investigate the defendant's case.

Trish Anderton of New Hampshire Public Radio reports on the impeachment of a state judge in New Hampshire for the first time since 1790. David Brock was the Chief Justice of the State Supreme court; now he faces a trial in the state senate that could last more than a month.

Many people feared violence and protests would tarnish the Thirteenth International AIDS Conference in Africa, which ends tomorrow in Durban, South Africa. Some participants even withdrew because of concerns about their safety. But as NPR's Richard Knox reports, the meeting has taken place virtually without incident.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports on the economics of small-market baseball. Unlike major league football, professional baseball revenues aren't widely shared among franchises. Teams like the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves earn significant money from TV contracts, and that allows them to afford the sport's top talent. But smaller-market teams must rely on fan loyalty to fill the ballpark. And while they may nurture young, rising stars, these teams know that talented players are likely to go where the money takes them.

Host Madeleine Brand talks to reporter Phil Mercer who is in Suva about the latest developments in Fiji. Deposed Fiji Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and 17 other political hostages were freed today after being held for 56 days by nationalists demanding an end to ethnic Indian political power.