Search results for

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan testifies before a congressional panel that worries about war and corporate corruption are a drag on growth, but overall the U.S. economy remains fundamentally strong. Greenspan also says the economy could absorb the cost of a war with minimal damage. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

Host Bob Edwards speaks with Orville Schell, dean of the University of California-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. He and other deans, journalists, and representatives of television networks have held meetings on improving the quality of T.V. news. Schell and other deans are worried that although T.V. news reaches a huge portion of the American audience, it's not doing its job in thoroughly informing the public.

If there is war in Iraq, the U.S. military could face a formidable enemy: the weather. Some of history's most important battles have been decided by weather conditions. U.S. war planners are preparing to adjust battle tactics based on researchers' forecasts. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

Is it OK to gloat privately at a former friend's misfortune? What should you do about the gift you really don't like but are afraid to toss? Randy Cohen, who writes The Ethicist column for The New York Times Magazine, joins NPR's Steve Inskeep for this week's installment of ethical dillemas from our listeners. (If you wish to pose an ethical question to Randy, write to the broadcast via email: watc@npr.org Put the word "ethics" in the subject line, and leave a daytime phone number.)

An El Al airplane lands safely in Istanbul after security guards overpower a man who tried to storm the cockpit hijack the aircraft, which carried 168 people. The plane was heading from Tel Aviv to Istanbul. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

A federal judge in Los Angeles temporarily blocks a portion of a new law that bars non-citizens from working as airport baggage handlers. The ACLU says the citizen requirement is irrational since it doesn't affect other airport employees. NPR's Rachael Myrow reports.

Top U.N. arms inspector Hans Blix, en route to Baghdad, says he expects difficulties in assessing whether Saddam Hussein is hiding weapons of mass destruction. But he warns his team will not accept any resistance to the checks. NPR's Nick Spicer reports.

Jad Abumrad reports on a recent controversy at Columbia University's Journalism School that has sparked a larger debate over the future of the news business. The university's new president Lee Bollinger has questioned the hands-on emphasis of the school's curriculum, concerned that skills training may be denying students exposure to the theory-driven side of journalism. But faculty insist that they offer students a complete education, and argue that the climate in today's professional press make practical training a must.

Many economists agree that the nation's housing market is strong and that, overall, home values should continue to rise. But home prices are cooling in Boston and other cities that have seen dramatic run-ups in recent years. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

This week PBS will present Benjamin Franklin, an unblinking look at the remarkable founding father whose industriousness furthered the cause of science and whose diplomatic skills helped win American independence. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with documentary writer Ron Blumer and Ellen Hovde.